It Seemed Logical at the Time
by GinTsuki
Summary: One of the greatest relationships in the universe. Improbable, irrational, and yet...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

**The Meeting**

**

* * *

**

An antique analog clock ticked gently in the background as a young woman worked away within the confines of her small office. The walls were green in hue and pastel in saturation, though it was hard to tell in the blinding light that filtered in from the morning sunrise. Various décor was strategically placed on walls and on surfaces, making the place feel homely and comforting to the average human. Some of the frames perched on the surrounding bookshelves carried within them diplomas and degrees, the forefront of which was inscribed in a different script then usually seen on Earth. All in all the space was chaos in order - just like the teacher who designed it.

At the desk in the corner, the woman was being absorbed by the contents of her handheld console. Frustration was evident from the way her brow furrowed, casting a shadow over her eyes. The tablet pen was resting in her mouth - dangerously close to being chewed on by anxious teeth.

Suddenly, the phone rang and pierced the delicate audio environment established. The woman jumped as if electrocuted out of her thoughts, then swiveled in her chair for the source of the noise. Clumsily she threw the handheld onto her cluttered desk and desperately reached for the button that would activate the video phone in time. After the fifth ring, a serious face swam onto the screen and eyed the woman with an almost irritated expression.

"Miss Grayson I presume." His voice echoed the displeasure in his face, making the woman instinctively frown. This man was not a morning person. He was also wearing a Starfleet uniform, yet she had nothing to do with military matters - on Earth or in space. Why this decorated man suddenly wished to speak to her – a civilian fresh out of graduate school - she had no idea.

"Yes. This is her. What can I do for you…" she squinted to try and assess the man's rank, "…Admiral?" Her eyes betrayed her confusion, which didn't help the mood of the man she was attempting to converse with. He took a deep breath - which seemed to Miss Grayson a more manly version of a sigh - before he launched into the heart of the matter.

"Miss Grayson, it seems that we require your services at a diplomatic meeting within Seattle. Our Vulcan cultural expert is incapacitated and you seem to be the only available representative qualified to translate the Vulcan language."

The woman blinked at the monitor, her eyebrows knitting themselves together as she struggled with the concept. "Admiral, most Vulcans - if not all - know English fluently. There should be no need for a translator. Also, I am a civilian…"

"We are aware of that Miss Grayson." He interrupted. His tone seeming to indicate that being non-militant was her failing, not his. "We need someone well versed in their mannerisms so that no mistakes are made. Who knows what sort of things upset these _Vulcans_…"

At this the woman made to interrupt (firstly because referring to Vulcans as '_these_ Vulcans' was a step in the wrong direction, and secondly, if such references were to be expected in the future… she would be in over her head) but before she could respectfully explain how she would be an inappropriate choice, but the Admiral continued.

"The meeting is in an hour, and you're the only person we could contact. Consider it your duty to your country and your planet."

Controlled anger colored the woman's cheeks, but she consented. What else could she do when staring down an Admiral as crotchety as this one? After writing down instructions and directions to the meeting place, she turned off her monitor and stared into space. A cat crawled its way out of a carpeted box hidden in some recess and began to rub it's side against Miss Grayson's leg. The annoyance at her unexpected call melted somewhat as the woman reached for the animal and placed it on her lap.

"This is very peculiar." She addressed the cat, her eyes still staring at nothing in particular. "An Admiral asking assistance from me… a young'un who just barely got out of university." Miss Grayson shifted her focus to the diploma on the bookshelf. It was for completing the Vulcan Studies program last year. She was one of only a hundred students across the country - because interest in a planet one would never see was a waste of money in the eyes of the masses. After all, Starfleet and their diplomats had their own course through the military. Miss Grayson and her old civilian colleagues were guided by more then thoughts on finances and time. The pursuit of knowledge was her destiny, curiosity her guide.

Well, that's what she told herself anyway. In truth she didn't really feel comfortable with the hand life was giving her. There was something else out there, and she wanted to be able to recognize it when it came.

The woman glanced to her handheld computer and frowned. "I still have papers to mark from my Linguistics Workshop." Sensing a pause, the cat made to curl up on the teacher's lap. At this Miss Grayson set the animal back on the floor. "I suppose I can mark them while I sit through the meeting… its not like I'd be doing too much good anyway. I wonder if the Admiral has even _met_ a Vulcan." This statement made the woman pause. She hadn't met a Vulcan personally either, so who as she to call the kettle black? In her defense, she'd seen and even chatted to one through a video call, but she had never been inches away from one! The prospect made the task suddenly endurable.

Miss Grayson collected her things into a tote and did a once over in her office mirror. She thought herself rather presentable. Her earth tones brought out the blue in her eyes and the rosy hues of her face. Not that such things would account for much with Vulcans; though, as long as she looked sharp she would earn herself no disrespect in their company.

The meeting place was only two blocks away at the Embassy. It was a small branch since Seattle only had an alien population in the hundreds. Still, it was architecturally marveling and esthetically pleasing. Upon entering, Miss Grayson felt very out of place within the marble walls. Everyone there had on some sort of uniform. She clutched her bag closer to her as if leeching some of its inanimate confidence. Her heels clicked against the stone beneath her, and despite the morale support from her accessory, she felt self conscious as she stepped up to the reception desk and explained why she was there. The receptionist was of the pretty sort and directed the woman down the hall with a quick roll of her wrist.

It was easy to see where to go from there, since the teacher could see a huge gilded door that took up half the wall as soon as she turned. It was so important looking that Miss Grayson had to fight the urge to turn tail and fabricate some sort of excuse for her absence. This was no place for a fresh young linguist.

The security guards at the entrance raised their eyebrows at the woman hesitating at the doorway they were watching. After a moment one of them decided that a very blunt, "Who are you?" was in order.

Miss Grayson eyed him up and down before giving a small smile. "Amanda Grayson. I'm standing in for a Mister Kent Broadburn? He was supposed to be attending this diplomatic meeting." She hoped she sounded important enough to be emitted; standing around in the hallway until someone of authority arrived seemed very nerve wracking.

Luckily the guard nodded at her information. "You're half an hour early… only the Vulcans are present. You're welcome to enter." The way he said his last sentence made Amanda imagine an "…if you dare" being attached to it. Strangely she felt that milling with a bunch of Vulcans would beat lingering in a cold corridor. Perhaps she could learn something about them before they became engrossed in political matters? She asked to enter.

The guards opened the large double doors, revealing a lavish council room complete with a long table and twelve chairs. At the end of the room three Vulcans stood chatting amongst one another.

Immediately Amanda attempted to locate the Ambassador, but unfortunately the old human stand-by of 'who ever stood proudest was leader' didn't apply to Vulcans. They all stood very rigid, their angular faces a mask of seriousness that reminded Amanda of statues in ancient European cathedrals. Even without the ears and eyebrows this race would stand no chance blending in with the majority of humans.

In her stare she caught the word 'kevet-dutar' spoken as a question from one of the younger Vulcans to the oldest. From this Amanda gleaned that the older of them was Ambassador whose name, she was told, was Sarek. Excitement made her take a few tentative steps forward.

"Ah… Kevet-dutar… rai. Mesukh-tor-an."

As soon as she said it, she deeply regretted it. Shame washed over her for attempting to use their native language, especially since she was sure she butchered what she meant to say. "Ambassador No, Miss Translator" was not going to earn her any brownie points with this crowd, it would only demonstrate her ineptitude. She felt as if she touched something that she shouldn't have even been near – she was not worthy. The two younger Vulcans raised their eyebrows, while the older stood still and seemed to appraise the woman. It took a lot of will on Amanda's behalf not to hide her face.

"Your use of our language is unneeded. We are far more fluent in Standard then you are in Ah'rak lakh. You have said that you are not the Ambassador, yet I couldn't decipher your explanation as to _why_ you were not the Ambassador. Please re-state in Standard."

It was like talking to a machine. The shock of it made Amanda hesitate in her reply. The awkwardness of the situation slowly settled in and the woman decided to take the time to carefully set her book bag down and think her words through before re-addressing the Vulcan diplomat. She hadn't lost yet. Amanda was trained to be well versed in Vulcan etiquette, she just needed to be a little more careful in her actions from now on. "I am the chosen Vulcan cultural expert for this meeting. I'm here to make sure that our people don't unintentionally insult you, or you them."

"Is that not the Ambassador's job?"

His brown eyes gave of a feeling of slight confusion. Amanda couldn't help but smile warmly. Humans were a very confusing race, to have to associate with them on a daily basis must be very tiring for him. She hoped that she wouldn't add to it. She began to explain as simply as possible in an effort to erase her earlier error. "Yes, but the weight on an Ambassador's shoulders is a large one, I'm here to help."

At this the Vulcan nodded. "I see. Your people tend to do things collectively. I'm not sure if it is an efficient way of doing things."

Amanda tried not to laugh. This was why she fell in love with this race; they provided such a unique view on things which Amanda never stopped to think about. Before she could properly organize her thoughts, she blurted, "as a humanoid race you do things collectively too, though I do see your point. Vulcans don't need two people to do one job. Humans do. It is inefficient when viewed from the sidelines, yet from within it can be done no other way." She walked over to the end of the table where the Vulcans stood and pulled out a chair. With another kind smile she gestured to the seat in hope that Ambassador Sarek would sit so that they could converse more comfortably.

Ambassador Sarek tilted his head somewhat and adopted a hard look that made Amanda wonder what she did wrong. Instinctively she pulled her hand away from the chair and took a step back to try and assess the situation before he told her, but It was too late.

"Don't the males of your species offer seats to the females? Or is this information incorrect?"

"Oh! No, not entirely. It's just a polite thing to do… and since all of you have been standing since I arrived I assumed that you did not know it was all right to sit." Amanda realized that she was going to be digging herself into a hole if she didn't shut up and think about what she was doing. She was being far too forward for someone of her station and needed to back off. With some hesitation she retreated back to her own chair - closer to the other end of the table. Once there, Amanda pulled out her handheld as a distraction, but her mind was over clocking. She was failing in her purpose entirely, what if Sarek found her pointless? Hell... he _did_ find her pointless in a Vulcan sort of way. She was an example of how inefficient humans were. It was all she could bear being alone in a room with him and his attendants knowing this. Her attempt to not make eye contact was nullified when curiosity got the better of her and she glanced back to Sarek to see what he was doing.

He was staring at the chair she pulled out as if trying to burn a hole through it with his eyes. Amanda inwardly cursed herself. She nearly dropped her handheld when Ambassador Sarek actually sat down in it and asked, "Why is it that you sit so far away?"

How very awkward this was getting.

"I'm sure that when the others arrive, more suitable personnel will like to sit close to you in order to ask you questions and the like. That is what this meeting is about right? Asking questions?"

His eyes darkened, and his assistants sat down on either side of him. They looked as though they were unsure if this was the right thing to do. Sarek knitted his hands together and locked his gaze onto Amanda as if he were attempting to see right through her. "Your people want Vulcan information on alien races that they have not yet encountered. Information that Vulcan scientists have accumulated over many years; a time when your people were still unable to break through your planet's atmosphere. What your people will use this information for is unknown. I do not think that giving this information is a good idea. I have told your people that eight times, in eight different meetings. I am… _confused_… as to why Humans do not understand the word 'No' even when spoken in your own language."

So it _was_ something Military. Why was the Admiral getting her involved in something such as this when she was just a simple civilian? Politics never intrigued her and the whims of her government were an absolute mystery to someone whose only care was getting her student's papers back on time.

She sighed and ran a hand through her auburn hair. She had given up rectifying the impression she made on Sarek and replied with her own opinion. "The problem with my race is that when we really want something we try to do anything in our power to obtain it." Amanda stared at the table as she spoke. Being human wasn't going to be an asset at any point during this meeting, but perhaps she could change Sarek's view a little. "It's a trait that shows the worse of us sometimes… but it can be a good force too. The ability to overcome any obstacle, no matter the odds is something that our people cherish. It gives us hope - the good force. Here, it is being put to the negative end of the spectrum… and that is greed. I am sorry you've had to witness it eight times. Perhaps the ninth time will be the charm?"

Sarek tilted his head and his lip twitched into what Amanda swore to be a smile. She inwardly beamed like a five year old at her conquest.

"I have evaluated the human emotion called Greed with interest. It is one of your seven deadly sins, and something that Vulcans lack entirely. However, hope is a new concept that I was not aware had any relevance to this meeting. Your speech was fascinating and I dare say refreshing. What are you called?"

Did he just compliment her? Perhaps she wasn't a complete failure after all! "Miss Amanda Grayson, and you are Ambassador Sarek... if I was informed correctly?"

"Yes, that is I." And almost as though cued, the doors opened to reveal several people in various uniforms. The majority were military, but the fancy garb of the Ambassador to Vulcan was most prominent. The man was slender and had the air of royalty that Amanda thought was rather misplaced. He bowed and made his way to the Vulcan side of the table to sit on the right of one of Sarek's assistants. "Good day Ambassador Sarek. I hope you are well?"

"Quite." Sarek replied plainly as the rest of the humans sat themselves down. The Admiral took the seat opposite Sarek, which Amanda thought a bit foreboding; there were eight humans between him and the Ambassador and only two Vulcans.

Amanda shifted awkwardly in her seat and picked up the handheld she dropped earlier. Now that everyone was here she could sit back and mark her student's papers in peace while they discussed political matters she had no bearing in. It was hard for her to concentrate however; the Vulcans were so interesting in their mannerisms that she found herself watching them. They seemed to assess every newcomer in turn and pay close attention to those they found most interesting. By Amanda's count the Admiral and the Ambassador had the most looks.

"So. To business," said the Admiral with relish before some of his subordinates unpacked some important looking papers and handed them to the Vulcans. Boorish conversation ensued in which Amanda tuned out in favor of finishing her own business. She did look up every few minutes to gauge the facial expression of Ambassador Sarek, only to find it stoic as usual. Twenty minutes later, Sarek raised his voice higher then the lull Amanda was accustomed to and make her snap out of her marking reverie.

"We will consider the matter Admiral, in three days. The answer we give then will be final. I will no longer attend any conferences that include this as a topic of discussion." He turned to his associates who nodded in agreement. The statement seemed to shock the Admiral into choked silence.

Amanda looked from the Ambassador to the military man before looking back to the Ambassador. He turned to her and gave her a strange expression that made the woman freeze. Sarek stared right at her for a good minute before looking back to the Admiral. "I also request for quarters here in Seattle. The travel between here and your city of San Francisco is tiring and will deprive me of my need to meditate in peace."

The human Ambassador stood and gave a neat bow to Sarek. "We shall work on it at once Mr. Sarek. Meanwhile would you like a tour of the facilities available to you during your stay?"

Without hesitation, Sarek replied, "I shall need none."

The Vulcan cut off any further conversation at this point and the Admiral quietly dismissed the meeting. Everyone stood to vacate, including Amanda who was glad to be able to stretch her legs. She pulled at her numb limbs before packing up her handheld. As she did, she reflected that for her first encounter with an actual Vulcan, it didn't seem too painful. She actually enjoyed the experience and wondered if she could put herself in more situations that involved Vulcans. Perhaps there was a small colony near Seattle she could visit for the purpose of including some of their cultural aspects into her future workshops…

Almost as if detecting her thoughts, Ambassador Sarek strode over to her. All those remaining in the room stopped what they were doing to watch. Amanda stood straight as if branded and wondered what this could be about; did he think her earlier remarks too brash? Was her inattentiveness during the meeting bothersome?

When he didn't start the conversation she cautiously muttered, "Ambassador Sarek" and followed with a curt nod as if to show she acknowledged that he was standing only two feet from her. He returned the gesture before suddenly asking, "Miss Grayson, would accompany me for dinner tonight?"

Amanda noticed the Admiral's eyes widen and some of the others begin to stare in disbelief. If there were a mirror present, she would have noticed that she was doing the same. The whole event seemed incredibly strange from Amanda's point of view. Did she get sucked into a rift through time and space where Vulcans actually _enjoyed_ the company of beings that ran off swirling hormones and misguided ambition?

"Me? I am not involved with this matter any more, and I'm sure that the Human Ambassador would love to have the pleasure..." she tried not to stutter. Her eyes desperately searched his face for some logical reasoning for the invitation – since all Vulcans had one – but she was at a loss.

"It is because you are not involved in this matter that I wish for you to accompany me; but if you would rather not..."

Right. How that explained her present situation she couldn't fathom; but it seemed an ample enough explanation for him, so why not? What could she do but accept? It was the chance she was waiting for. Perhaps she could learn something about Vulcan that a textbook couldn't offer. "I have a workshop to teach at five. It lasts till seven, so if you truly want me to join you for dinner, it will have to be a late dinner."

He nodded, understanding her responsibility. "I see. It will be a late dinner then. I will see that you know the time and place once it is arranged. Excuse me." With that, he waited for his Vulcan assistants to come to his side. They all departed down the hallway together to meet with a guide while Amanda stared after them as if waking from a dream.

She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair yet again. What was going on? She didn't even have time to pack before the Admiral strode over much like Sarek did – a question was burning him so badly that he didn't even need to ask it. He did anyway.

"Why did the Ambassador invite you to dinner? Do you know?"

The woman looked away and started to fidget with her bag. "I don't know. Maybe it was something I said earlier…"

"But you said nothing."

"Earlier earlier… before you arrived." The Admiral opened his mouth but Amanda held up her hand for quiet; she was a civilian so military etiquette be damned. "Before you ask… it was a conversation regarding nothing of importance. The Ambassador said that he was tired of saying the same thing over and over again." Amanda looked into the Admiral's eyes with a stare that had all her strength of will behind it. "And I told him it was human of us to not except no as an answer."

The Admiral smiled, though Amanda almost mistook it for a grimace. "And yet… he changed his usual answer - because of you."

Amanda opened her mouth to protest. He must not have properly interpreted what she meant, because the Admiral rested his hand on her shoulder and said, "Keep up the good work."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**The Dinner**

* * *

The note was written in simple script and placed in her mailbox by the time Amanda came home from teaching her lesson. She stood in the lobby of her apartment complex looking over the strange paper and squinting at the strangeness of the writing. She would have thought the letters to have been typed, if it weren't for the smear of graphite she created when running her fingers over it. All it said was "Grand Pacific 20:00"

She made her way up to her room like a ghost, hardly believing that she was actually invited to dinner with a Vulcan of Sarek's standing. An hour ago she was wondering if she had just imagined the events of that morning. The Grand Pacific was rather fancy… was she expected to be formal? Just what were they going to talk about? Maybe she was blowing this entire event out of proportion and it would be some sort of business confrontation.

Amanda opened the door to find Piper attempting to escape down the hallway. Luckily her roommate grabbed the cat before it cleared the threshold. "Thanks Jackie," Amanda expressed as she quickly shut the door behind her to allow the release of the disappointed animal.

Her roommate waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "No problem. I _thought_ he was going to make a dash for it." The woman was shorter then Amanda with close cropped hair that gave her an rather impish impression. Her skin was a shade of caramel that made Amanda rather envious. Everything about Jackie screamed exotic, while Amanda remained one of the plainest looking girls on the planet. The teacher frowned at her thoughts as she threw her electronic keys onto the counter and began to beeline it to her room.

Jackie followed her friend's movements with her dark eyes. "In a hurry already?"

Amanda nodded before slipping out of view. "Yes. You wouldn't believe the day I'm having. First I was ready to start the morning off with some marking, then got called by an Admiral of Starfleet to sit in on a Vulcan diplomatic meeting… that was quite dry by the way… and I did not understand a thing. Then again I wasn't really paying attention…" As she rambled she began to undress and search through her closet for anything that seemed like the right thing to wear. "Then, the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth asked me to dinner tonight at the Grand Pacific." She pulled out a light blue cocktail dress and frowned at it.

"You're kidding!" Jackie said through the door with a ring of excitement in her voice that made her roommate cringe. "Is he cute?"

"He's Vulcan!" Amanda said, picking out another dress that was patterned red, brown and black. It had a long skirt that was a bit out of fashion but it showed off her shoulders, which was slightly flattering. She started to put it on when she heard Jackie lean against the door. "Yeah, but your into the pointy ears aren't you? I remember back in High School you doodling them all over your Technologies manual."

Amanda rolled her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a school teacher, rather then a young woman going for a night on the town; then again, that impression would be accurate. "Even if I did have a thing for Vulcans, it would be incredibly one sided. Besides, he probably has a lot on his mind and he doesn't need my human fantasies adding to it, so would you please stop feeding them?"

As she opened the door Jackie was grinning wolfishly at her. "So it _is_ one of your fantasies! How exciting!" Jackie followed her around the apartment as Amanda collected her essentials. "Why don't you put your hair up and give yourself a little eyeliner for the occasion?" The girl already had a curling implement in her hands and was working on Amanda's auburn locks before she could answer.

"Jackie! Come on… I'm in a rush…" Amanda tried to fend the girl off, but Jackie was bouncing around her like a Belzoidian flea. After several minutes Jackie ceased and retreated to admire her handy work. "There we are! Pretty as a picture."

"Great. I'm going now… I don't know when I'll be back." Amanda slipped on some flats, which Jackie promptly stepped on and forced her out of, before making her wear a pair of heels. The frustrated woman was about to slip out the door when the sound of scissors at her back made her turn around in horror. "What are you doing!"

Jackie held up a chunk of fabric that came from some region of Amanda's skirt. "Whoops. I should have been watching where I was going! Sorry Mandy. I totally owe you a new dress… here, at least let me fix what I did." And as Amanda gazed on in disbelief, Jackie started to cut several inches off of her dress so it rested just above her knees which, to Amanda, seemed much too high for comfort. "But… the hem…"

"Hopefully they won't be staring at the hem." Jackie gave Amanda a wink before shoving her out the door. "You'll thank me later."

As her own door was shut in her face Amanda didn't know whether to feel angry, distraught or insanely nervous for what was about to unfold. She smoothed out the hacked hem of her dress, reminding herself that it still had a few inches to go before reaching the point of 'scandalous' but still… what Jackie did was completely unacceptable. Amanda huffed and struggled to get used to the unfamiliar heels as she strolled down the corridor. Later, she was feeling a little bit more confident now that she was outside with a mission at hand. She slipped into her car and started the ride to the hotel, feeling some pride as her Jupiter 8 gleamed under the dim streetlamps.

When she got there, the place reminded her of the Embassy – all pomp and grandeur. Such things really didn't sit well with Amanda and she tried desperately not to make it seem obvious. However, as soon as she entered the large glass doors an attendant spotted her and made his way over. "Are you Miss Grayson?" Shock registered on her face, making the Attendant feel smug. "Yes. How…?"

He flashed a superb smile. "You were described quite accurately." With that, he offered her a hand in a royal gesture that made her blush. She took it and was guided into a quiet restaurant where Sarek was easy to make out. He was seated by the window, wearing his earlier outift, which seemed a simple enough garb - most likely made out of Vulcan fabrics. He did not look up as she approached. The attendant, however, withdrew her chair and motioned for her to sit down. She did with a bit of nervous clumsiness, remembering the look Sarek gave her when she did the same thing earlier.

"Ambassador Sarek, I apologize for you having to delay your supper on my account." The sentence escaped her lips faster then she meant it to. The Ambassador gave her another one of his stares. It mimicked the one she was just recalling.

"Your apology is unnecessary. What is _Is_."

Awkward silence ensued before Amanda looked out the window for a distraction. She felt like she was on a date. _Was it a date?_ Just what was her mind concocting now? She was jumping to conclusions even worse then Jackie was back at the apartment. Somehow this was all that girl's fault… no matter how irrational the thought was.

"I hope you are not adverse to vegetarian cuisine."

Amanda snapped back to Sarek's face and hastily shook her head, before following up with a prompt, "No! Not at all." Her odd reaction made the Vulcan lift an eyebrow quizzically. For a moment he seemed to be contemplating something. Amanda went to turn back to the window but he prevented it.

"You are bothered by something. Is it the sudden invitation? I realize that you humans do not like to be 'put on the spot'." When Amanda didn't immediately respond, he continued. "I can understand, somewhat, your hesitation in your actions and speech. You do not wish to make a poor impression. To make you feel more at ease, I will mention that I don't think you could do worse then when you attempted to use the Vulcan language this morning."

The shade of red Amanda turned would have made a tomato look pink. "Oh," she breathed, embarrassed to her core. "I… I had a feeling that it wasn't… well… that I shouldn't have-"

"I meant no insult Miss Grayson. It was… amusing. Your conversation was also…" He struggled to find the right words. Using emotional vocabulary was difficult for him. "Enjoyable. It was a change from hearing what humans assume I wish to hear. Often the contrary occurs. Many of your military and diplomats become tedious and my patience thin with matters they will not let rest." As he spoke, some caters arrived with a small appetizer that Amanda could not recognize. She decided to let Sarek have the first bite before testing it herself. She made a fool of herself one too many times already.

"I would think that as an Ambassador you'd be used to the whole song and dance that is politics. Why did you became one if you don't like it?" His earlier words made her feel more comfortable in his presence; for a Vulcan his ability to break the ice was formidable. She was embarrassed, and nervous, but his acceptance of that was a weight off her shoulders. Maybe she wasn't too bad at Vulcan relations after all. She just needed to pay attention.

Sarek raised a fork with a practiced hand and, with a movement that would put a Queen's own to shame, tasted some of the strange first course. After careful consideration he answered Amanda's question. "An Ambassador was needed, and so an Ambassador I became."

Amanda smiled and eyed what looked like a glass of white wine in front of her. "How Vulcan of you."

Sarek gave the woman a curt nod, "Thank-you. I try."

Was that sarcasm she detected? Were Vulcan's even capable of such things? And was that a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth? Ambassador Sarek was strange... not like a textbook depiction of a Vulcan at all. The similarities were there, but the on the whole, meeting him up close and personal was incredibly different from what she imagined. "So why did you _really _wish me here Ambassador Sarek?"

The illusion of a smile faded. "The answer is obvious. I find you interesting, for previously stated reasons. I had given up on human nature; for, as a race they seem to want everything that is bad for them. You know this, and I wanted to hear your opinion on the matter that the Admiral has brought to your attention."

Now that it was out in the open, his actions made sense. She should have figured it out if she had thought like a Vulcan. "I agree that humanity tends to get itself into trouble, much like a child - always wanting what's in plain sight even if it's not theirs, not even considering there there might be a better choice around the corner." She threaded her hands together and rested them on the table. "But you're the parent in this analogy. Do we deserve this cookie you offer, and if not, what can we do to work for it?"

"I don't see why you had to bring dessert into the conversation. For one with food on her mind, you eat very little."

Amanda struggled not to blush again. The Ambassador's strange charm was turning her into heat-lamp. "You're avoiding the question Ambassador."

"I have already answered it, but I suppose I ask too much of you to_ not_ reflect the human need to have ones words repeated for thorough understanding. I don't think it wise to give our information database to Starfleet. You will come across this information yourselves, in time, when you are ready for it." He sipped a glass of wine and then peered at it with lowered eyebrows.

The woman sighed and ran her hands through her hair, mentally noting that it was becoming a terrible habit. "If you've decided, then why are you delaying? Starfleet will just get angry at you." Her blue eyes locked onto Sarek's through the wine glass. He set it down. "It is illogical, isn't it? My judgment is solid, yet when I look at you it shakes. I needed more time to think upon the matter."

For some reason Amanda's heart began to crawl up her throat. "Maybe my humanness is rubbing off on you?" She didn't know why she said it; they had only known each other less then a day so it wasn't possible. Sarek agreed with her thoughts and shook his head. "No. That can not be, for because if you were in my position, I don't think you would give the humans what they wanted either."

The statement made the woman nod slowly. The main course finally arrived, which gave her time to collect her thoughts. "We don't deserve it, and it would be impossible to tell whether or not we'd abuse it. You can't trust the human race… that's understandable-"

"But I can trust you." Sarek interrupted without hesitation. The words were lower in volume, but Amanda caught them as easily as if he had shouted them and asked, "Why?"

The Ambassador's deep brown eyes narrowed. His gaze stared straight through Amanda, making her extremely uncomfortable. She shifted in her chair while attempting to eat a little."You are wise for a human. You know the darkness of a human heart, but do not get lost in it. I have met so many infested with greed, envy and pride… but I have not seen one dominated by hope, except when I met you."

White wine threatened to make its way out of Amanda's nose. "I'm sorry… but what?" She hastily dabbed at her face with a napkin. She didn't know whether to laugh at Sarek's assessment, or to take him seriously. "You can't put me on a pedestal like that… I mean, all humans have hope to varying degrees. I'm not dominated by it at all! If anything it's rogue emotions… like anger and frustration and annoyance that define me." She stammered while trying to make Sarek understand, "I'm not some anomaly, I'm just the first person you must have met that didn't have some sort of ulterior motive… that's all." Sarek tilted his head and countered her logic with, "All humans have motives or they wouldn't function."

Amanda put down her knife and fork now that her meal was finished. "Well... I had nothing sinister. I just wanted to get to know you is all."

"It seems we have something in common." Their eyes met again. His were devoid of any emotion, making Amanda wonder if he was speaking racially, or personally. Then again, did the choice even matter to her? Amanda didn't know which _she_ would prefer. This was getting a little overwhelming, and she _still_ didn't know what to call this dinner; it wasn't a date, but it didn't feel like business either. Amanda leaned back in her chair and rubbed her arms absent-mindfully. "It's getting late, and I have a feeling that the Admiral might give me a call again tomorrow..." After all, when Sarek asked her for dinner, that made her a valuable commodity for inside information. He wasn't going to pass that up.

"Are you politely requesting to leave?" His voice changed again; the words still sounded like they came from a computer, but the tone was softer. Amanda almost wanted to change her mind. "Yes. Though, I wouldn't mind meeting again." Maybe it was the wine that was making her grin like at idiot after saying that.

Sarek nodded as Amanda got to her feet and said good-bye. When she left the building she was glad of the fresh air. There was just enough wine in her system to make her skin feel hotter then usual, so she decided to sit in her car for maybe an hour and listen to some music before driving home. With the echo of her earlier grin she approached her car and opened the door. At this she froze - it had opened effortlessly even though she was sure she had locked it.

She hesitated before getting inside, noting how absent-minded she was becoming with every passing hour that day. As she reached for the ignition, someone grabbed her hand and wrenched it behind her head. Before she could even scream, there was a flash of metal and some sort of fancy blade was held to her neck. Someone had been in the backseat... waiting for her. They held the metal blade closer to her pounding jugular.

"Make a sound and I kill you."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thank you for the reviews! I am the worst proof-reader of all time... I'm sorry. Chapter one is going to be edited soon... I keep uploading these at two in the morning so they really really suck. I decided to screw it and just get them up so I can revise them later when I feel up to it.

_ Iadggm_ - You win first prize for the most awesome review! Never have I been more flattered that you've taken the time to thoroughly go through my story. I have to confess, then when writing the first chapter of the story I was so very confused as to how I was going to portray Amanda. I wanted her to be incredibly strong willed, but then again I didn't think that that would work out too well in a realistic diplomatic meeting (I originally had her doing the whole stereotypical 'not agreeing with so-and-so and having a huge argument about it in front of Sarek and winning his favor that way' but it seemed corny and overdone… so I redid it deciding to go for the 'wise' Amanda who was would be the pleasant undertone to Sarek's bold yet cold melody. What you read is evidence of my moving back and forth in an attempt to pin down Amanda's personality. Also, I should have been more in her head when I was writing that whole scene with her offering Sarek a chair. Amanda's thought process was basically, "I've studied their language, their culture and their heritage… I'm so ready to interact!" and yet as soon as she opens her mouth she utterly fails, she tries again with action rather then word and fails again. To rectify she distracts herself (that and writing a page on what they were discussing would have been incredibly boring so I was looking for a way to get out of doing that. I'll patch that up a bit more later). I shouldn't have written about her desire for freedom. You are right, I think she would be more curious and perhaps even saddened that her first encounter was cut short. I'm going to go back and change that part… it really doesn't make sense. Thank you again for the stunning review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**The Options**

* * *

"You will only speak when asked a question, and only _I_ will ask the questions. Understand?" A voice whispered in Amanda's ear, making her blood run cold. The pitch was definitely that of a woman, and there was a slight accent in her words. The linguist couldn't place what the accent was and it frustrated her. It was nothing Latin based... Amanda was sure of that – not that it helped the situation much. "Yes. I understand," she replied, surprised at how calm she was. Amanda assumed that she was just scared out of her mind and operating on auto-pilot. The way her lips trembled supported her theory.

The intruder shifted so that the knife wasn't going to accidently make a bloody mess in Amanda's car. "Now. Tell me… what's Sarek's plan regarding the Vulcan information database?" There was a slight purr that curled the end of her sentence, as if Amanda's assailant enjoyed this position of power. Amanda tried to look into her rear view mirror to get a glance at who was in the back seat, yet the darkness wasn't on her side. She could see a faint outline of a head and nothing more.

"I don't think he's going to go through with giving Starfleet what they want. " Her voice croaked slightly. She was thirsty for some reason. Anxiety perhaps?

Her answer made the knife come closer again. She could feel the breath of the woman holding her captive warming her neck as well as the blade pressed against it. "Then why is he lingering? I would have thought he'd be heading off world by now if he told them 'No…'"

Amanda closed her eyes. What little restraint she had not to scream was beginning to melt now that she could feel a small bead of blood rolling down her collarbone. "H-he wants to be sure he's making the right decision. After meeting me he's not so sure anymore…" As she said it, she couldn't really believe it. Obviously the captor couldn't either, because she laughed. Amanda gasped in pain as a thread thin cut split open and made more of her blood weep down and sink into the fabric of her dress. "Really! Doesn't that make you feel special…? I'm going to have to show Sarek what he's getting himself into."

Amanda sensed the woman rummaging around for something. After a moment she stopped and addressed Amanda again. "_Now_. Here's the plan Amanda. I'm going to give you some interesting options to pick from. First option… you can die very quickly by resisting the next two options." She wiggled the strange blade away from Amanda's neck as allow for no misunderstandings of this first choice. "Second option… you can die slowly because you feel the need to be rebellious. It'll piss me off, but I can live with it – you won't." The smile that laced her words made the young woman whimper. She chuckled at this show of weakness. "The final option is by far your best. I'm being quite generous with it really. I need you to manipulate dear old Sarek into following you to a specific set of co-ordinates from which we'll pick him up to have a little chat."

_We_? There were more then one of these psycho-chicks? She inwardly groaned. "I don't think he'd do it… at least not alone."

The woman's good mood was punched down a notch and Amanda felt long fingers thread into her hair. She screamed as her head was wrenched back painfully. "That's your problem Amanda. Don't make it mine. Your life depends on it… and if necessary, the lives of your friends and family as well."

The tears welled in her blue eyes before she could stop them. Why was this happening to her? Just what did this person want? "What are you going to do to Ambassador Sarek…?"

Her head was pulled back further making her cry out in agony again. Several things cracked, but it wasn't serious… at least that's what Amanda was trying to convince herself as the woman snarled. "I ask the questions. If you must know, I won't kill him. Vulcan's are respectable, unlike humans. I won't even harm him unless he tries to resist… which I doubt, he's a smart man, unlike some brunette I know."

Amanda noticed a gloved hand snake out of her hair and disappear before returning with something that looked suspiciously like a syringe. "This is the key to your destiny Amanda. A beautiful mixture of toxins your race has never seen. I'll give you 24 hours before it stops your heart. I have the antidote… which will be given to you in exchange for Sarek. It'll also make you sleep for a few hours while I eliminate all evidence of me being here. Neat, isn't it?"

The teacher started to tremble. It didn't stop her captor from jabbing the hypodermic into her shoulder and shooting the concoction into her system. Immediately her vision swam and she felt nauseous.

"Tell anyone anything about this little chat and your friends will have some unpleasant events in store for them. Sweet dreams Amanda." The blade slipped away into the darkness, and soon everything else followed.

* * *

**Authors Notes: **Hey guys, sorry for the shorty. Usually my chapters are around three to four pages long on MSWord. The chapter that I _was_ going to upload is around _seven_ pages and counting. I just couldn't get a good cut off point and I didn't want to have this massive chapter in the midst of my story, so I decided to shave off two pages by uploading this and dangling it to see the effect. "Oooo plot! In a romance story! No wai!"

Again, I uploaded this chapter without proof reading it... so I apologize for crappyness - though it is four in the morning and I wanted to upload SOMETHING.

Also, I revised and editted chapters one and two. I don't think I'll touch them again unless someone points out something I didn't fix. Thank you all so much for your reviews! I welcome any in depth questions, or critisim. I'm still having trouble with Amanda, so I'm planning on switching to Sarek's point of view in chapter 5 or 6. There's a reason for this despite not being able to get a good grasp of Amanda's mindset... you'll figure it out soon.

I think that's all. Hope you liked it! Review to make me smile and hopefully I'll throw in some nice Sarek-Amanda moments next chappy to return the favor. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**The Realization**

* * *

The next morning was the worst Amanda could remember. Her chest hurt, and as soon as she opened her eyes the sun stabbed at them with its brightness. Before her irises could adjust to the glare, a sharp tap sounded at her window and captured her attention. She shielded her face and peered groggily out of it. Standing there was a man in military uniform, complete with a stony visage.

Instinctively she rolled down the window and adopted a fleeting smile. "Morning…" Why she felt the need to put up a cheerful front, she didn't know. Maybe it had something to do with the lives that would be at stake if she didn't pretend that everything was all right.

"Miss Grayson, the Admiral of Starfleet has been trying to contact you for five hours. Your roommate reported that you didn't come home last night and the Ambassador was the last person to see you at 23:00." Amanda groaned inwardly at the robotic voice. He was only a corporal in the US Army, yet the young man was already stripped of his humanity. Starfleet was going to be owing some favors if they used the local bush monkeys to look for a lost Vulcan cultural expert.

"Sorry… I had some wine last night and didn't want to drink while under the influence. I must have fallen asleep. I'll contact the Admiral as soon as I can." The Corporal's face slipped from the mask Amanda was used to and presented concern. Amanda softened her forced look of cheerfulness and opted for something that showed the wariness she was feeling. "I'm going to report to my superior that you have been located. Are you heading to your apartment?" The corporal raised his wrist - the place where his communicator rested. He was typing into it with practiced fingers.

Amanda nodded warily. She was feeling wretched, like she had one hell of a flu. "Yes. He can contact me there in an hour. I really need a shower…" She knew that elevating a shower over the Admiral in her list of priorities was rude, but she didn't care. Her mind still hadn't reattached itself to reality after last night's attack. Shock - that's what it was. A shower would fix that.

She began to back out of the parking spot, leaving the army official to report what he wanted. The breeze that rolled in from her drive only served to cake the grime from Seattle's streets to her greasy face. Nausea at the slightest scent forced her to roll the window up. At the closest red light she pulled down her mirror and examined herself in it. For a woman who slept in her car against her will, she didn't look too bad. The blood that was on her neck had been cleaned up, leaving a barely noticeable scratch. There were dark circles under her eyes and her complexion was closer to Vulcan then human. Maybe the greenish tinge would make her appeal to Sarek more… because for this task ahead of her, she'd need all the help she could get.

When she arrived at her apartment she noticed how still it seemed. Her heart began to pound when she couldn't find Jackie or Piper. Did the woman take them hostage? That seemed too extreme. Hopefully she was just too tired to locate them properly. Was she in denial, or did she really think that? Now was not the time for deep questions.

The room began to spin and Amanda leaned over the sink to throw up. Whatever poison was coursing through her veins was working. She was going to have to compromise with it, for it would make convincing Sarek to follow her somewhere rather difficult. Amanda knew that even she, an empathetic human, wouldn't jump at the chance to follow a queasy looking acquaintance somewhere on a whim.

In the corner of her eye she spotted something that wasn't in her apartment last night. It was a white note stuck to the fridge by one of her magnetic poetry words. When Amanda went to examine it, she realized the magnet chosen was the Vulcan word for betrayal. Was it a coincidence...? Maybe her attacker knew Vulcan? Of so, that would narrow the list of suspects down if the police ever became involved. On the note there were a set of co-ordinates written in red ink, along with a time. She glanced to the clock in the kitchen and made a mental countdown. She had five hours to get Sarek to this location.

The woman stumbled to the bathroom feeling weaker then when she had first stepped into the apartment. The note was still in her hand. She hesitated in front of the mirror to find own blue eyes gazing intently back at her. They lowered to the reflection of the white slip of paper. Was she really going to do this? Endanger the Ambassador to save her life?

Amanda set the note on the toilet seat before stripping down clumsily. She started the shower as she peeled off her silk stockings. After finally freeing herself of all garments, she slipped into the bathtub, not bothering to stand. The shower felt like rain against her skin.

It calmed her. The dizziness began to fade as her pulse slowed and her mind cleared. Amanda took a deep breath, feeling the mist of the shower moisten the roof of her mouth. This was _her_ version of meditation - without the stiff knees and stuffy silence. Just the pitter-pat of raindrops and the occasional squealch of skin against metal.

The problem she needed to face was political. Ambassador Sarek had an enemy and Amanda was yet another puppet in someone else's play. Why her? Yesterday morning she was just another teacher marking papers, now she was dying of some exotic poison in her shower… while her roommate and cat were being held hostage so that she'd be bullied into jeopardizing some Vulcan diplomat.

Amanda closed her eyes and let the cooling flow embrace her. "He's not just _some_ diplomat." Her suddened mutterings surprised herself, even though they were drowned in the sound of cascading water. What she spoke was the truth. Like some giddy high school girl, Amanda had a crush on Sarek and was try to deny it. It took a psycho chick with a pretty knife to make her fully realize how she truly felt. How silly all of this was becoming! Was all this really happening, or was it something her subconscious was cooking up? She probably would have more luck starting a relationship with her dishwasher. Yet, the fact remained - Amanda was falling for someone incapable of returning her feelings.

"Not to meantion I'm supposed to be luring him into a trap…" she grumbled after grabbing the soap and starting a good lather, "…and I'm dying." She threw the soap into the bathroom sink out of frustration. It bounced out of it and landed on the floor just to spite her.

Thinking about dating a Vulcan was definitely not the thought process she should be going through at the moment. She was going to pawn the Ambassador off in return for her life, _not_ attaching herself to him. Amanda was now the main character in a stereotypical spy movie, and she needed to follow the script. Oh what she wouldn't give for some killer Bond type weaponry or a fool-proof plan…!

Amanda stepped out of the shower and toweled off. Now that she felt a little better she wandered into her room and slipped into a new change of clothes. As if planned, the video phone started to chime from her home office and she ran to answer it. She had completely forgotten about the Admiral's call. At the push of a button his face flickered onto the screen.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." Was the first thing out of his mouth, and the last thing Amanda wanted to hear. The scowl on his face was echoed by hers.

"My private life doesn't need to be explained to the likes of you." Amanda snapped, demonstrating her ability to speak without first thinking. Her tone made the Admiral's skin flush with fury, so she scrambled to fix her error before he had a chance to huff and puff and spend the next three hours lecturing her on manners. "I'm sorry Admiral. I had a rough night, and I'm really not liking being a pawn. I'm not even on your payroll…" She was getting no where with being cheeky, but the words were just popping out of her mouth now. Perhaps if she just got to the point it would all be over faster. "What do you need from me?"

The Admiral's face went from indignant red to pacified pink. "I want to know what happened between you and Ambassador Sarek. Did you discuss his opinion on lending us the Vulcan database?"

Amanda massaged her temples. "Yes and no. I don't think he will, but there's a small chance he might. I don't know how to make it a bigger chance to be honest." Her answer made the man slap his hand on his desk. "Then figure it out! We need this information Miss Grayson. Every potential enemy and ally… and their planets are in that databank of his. Starcharts and advanced research on sciences we can't even pronounce are at his fingertips!"

The more he talked the more the word 'greed' bounced around her head. "I'll meet with him today and talk it over, but I'm not making any promises." With that she hung up on him. Any other day she wouldn't have dared, but the nausea was coming back and eating away her patience as it did.

The woman grabbed her things and went back to the bathroom to try and make herself look less sickly. After twenty minutes she emerged from her apartment building to start the short walk to the Embassy. In an attempt to be efficient, on the way she looked up the Earth Ambassador's number and gave it a call. He picked up just before the answering machine would have started recording.

"Greetings, this is Ambassador Varian, how may I help you?"

"This is the Vulcan Cultural Expert… Miss Grayson. We met, sort of, yesterday. I was wondering if you could tell me what room you gave to Ambassador Sarek? I have an urgent need to talk to him." Amanda was trying to sound professional, yet it started getting more and more casual as she realized that she wasn't fooling anyone.

The Ambassador's voice took on a bit of a nasal drawl. "Really. Urgent Need. If it were that urgent I think I would have been notified." It was this statement that started the massive migraine Amanda would be stuck with for the next few hours. The teacher stopped in mid stride in order to try and calm the urge to strangle Varian. A few wandering pedestrians gave her a weird look. "Look. I need this information badly. You can be an ass and dangle it over my head to stroke your ego… OR you could be a nice guy and give me what I need. One of these options doesn't involve me getting the military banging on your door." She didn't like being so forward. Shame coiled up her spine, but with it, a sense of pride. The latter is what made her feel worse.

"Fine. I put him in the South wing, The Wellington Room to be exact. Careful you don't linger too long, you'll sully the Embassy's reputation."

"Oh, very mature." Amanda hung up and resumed walking. Varian was a pain, but then again… he was just retaliating for her earlier comment. Besides, in terms of social ranking he was way above her. She shouldn't have been demanding things of him with such nativity.

Amanda entered the Embassy with her eyes set firmly on the clock in the lobby. She still had about three hours to complete the task before her, now she just needed to focus on some excuse to lure Sarek away. Where was the drop point anyway? How could she be so clueless as to not check?

Amanda pulled out her handheld and the note that was slightly damp from being in the bathroom while she had her shower. With some difficulty she then used the GPS application to locate her potential destination. It was in the middle of a large park from what she could tell; not to far from the Embassy either. Though, walking there was going to be a hassle due to Ambassador Sarek needing minor security with him whenever he left the building. A flock of redshirts following an alien would surely draw a lot of attention. Something she could do without. How was she going to get him alone?

With a nervous tread she milled to the South wing looking rather lost. The sun was bouncing off the glassy marble floor and setting the metallic walls on fire. Sparkles danced across everything like a disco ball. It would have been beautiful to Amanda if she didn't feel like it held an overwhelming emptiness. Twice she was stopped by people in the corridor and was made to explain her business in painful detail. In the end, she wound up frustrated and facing a shiny set of double doors with the world 'Wellington' pressed into it. At her side was a guard who knocked for her.

A Vulcan attendant opened one of the doors and looked to the guard, then Amanda curiously. "Hello. You are looking for Ambassador Sarek?"

Amanda nodded, "Yes. I was wondering if I could speak with him."

The Vulcan's face was unnerving in the way it expressed nothing. It made Amanda wonder if Sarek was different in some way, for he seemed to at least carry the_ illusion_ of feeling in the subtle movements of his face. Perhaps it was because Sarek was more experienced and put up an easier front. After all, it seemed like a logical thing to do in order to put the humans he associated with at ease.

"At the present he is meditating, but you may wait. He should be available shortly." He opened the door wide and gestured for them to come in. The guard shook his head and refused the invitation after explaining that he was only there to make sure that Miss Grayson was actually permitted to be there. Amanda walked in alone, feeling nervous yet again. "I'm sorry for arriving without notice." The teacher began as she examined Sarek's quarters. The room was huge and very spacious. Everything was richly decorated and comfortable looking. Amanda sank into a plush chair by a small table laden with fruit. The Vulcan nodded in response to the woman's apology. "I am sure it will not bother the Ambassador in the least."

Silence ensued, but for once Amanda was comfortable with it. She closed her eyes to try and elevate the headache that pressed against her sinuses and the nausea that now seemed ever present. Here she could concentrate in peace and quiet, so she began to think of a strategy to get Sarek to come with her, alone. Nothing was coming to mind. It was like there was some sort of mental wall preventing her from progressing with the crazy woman's plan. Amanda had no guarantee she was leading Ambassador Sarek to a mere 'chat'. She had no guarantee for anything.

The softness of the chair supporting her weight called to her, lulling her into a sense of security and serenity. Even the sounds of the Vulcan moving about the room added to the lullaby that surrounded her. Before the linguist knew it, her head lulled to the side and she drifted into a dreamless slumber that was interrupted by Sarek calling her name.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: I think I finally got a hold of Amanda's personality in this chapter, even though I didn't get to express it much since she's in shock. She finally admits to herself that she's in love with Sarek though, which is going to make her decision more difficult. I'm having too much fun torturing her. I can't wait to turn the tables... *rubs her hands together mischieviously* Thanks for the reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**The Trap**

* * *

"Grayson?"

Sarek's voice made Amanda swim out of her nap, which she didn't even know she was in. This poison was formidable and keeping her from functioning. The woman blinked woozily after opening her eyes. Suddenly, without meaning to, she recoiled at what she saw. Ambassador Sarek was leaning over her lap, his nose almost touching hers. His dark brown eyes examined her face intently. At Amanda's flinching, he arched one of his eyebrows, which suddenly made the girl flush.

"Sorry… I must have dozed off-"

"You seem ill," Sarek nearly interrupted as he continued to stare. His brown eyes were so beautiful, yet so cold. "Earlier I was questioned about your disappearance. You did not return home last night after we had met." There was no concern in his voice, even though Amanda felt that there should be. He was talking like a computer again. She looked away from Sarek as he straightened out and appraised her yet again. The teacher felt uncomfortable with all of the sudden attention. "Yes. I went to a friend's house. I didn't expect Starfleet and the US Army to be looking for me…"

Sarek tilted his head, "Yet you told me last night at 22:06 that you expected a call from the Admiral."

Did she? She couldn't remember. Lying to a Vulcan was going to be more complicated then she thought. Already she was losing her self confidence, and she _needed_ that. "I was being sarcastic at the time." Amanda said quickly. She had read somewhere that Vulcans had a hard time with sarcasm, perhaps he'd let it slide.

He must have, because didn't say anything more on the matter and just stood there – blinking occasionally. "I assume you have a reason for entering my quarters?" The Ambassador prompted after awhile, though not unkindly. This made Amanda instinctively raise a hand in order to run it through her hair, but she lowered it on the way there; she was going to stomp that habit one way or the other. "Yeah… well… it's to ask you a favor." Amanda was going to have to wing an excuse, and fast.

"A favor? What is it that you require?"

Amanda tried to force a smile on her face, but it was coming out all wrong. "I… well, I teach a linguistics workshop you see… and we're covering some Vulcan today, and I was wondering… if you're not busy… if you would like to drop by and help me out." Her eyes were trying to look everywhere but Sarek. "I mean, you know how bad I am at the native tongue… you'd be a great help."

Sarek contemplated the matter. Without warning, he turned from Amanda and walked over to one of the Vulcan attendants who happened to be sitting nearby. They gave each other a blank look, and shared a few murmured words that Amanda could not hear. Afterwards, Sarek returned looking as stoic as ever. "What time is your workshop?"

The woman sought out a clock. "Two hours. It's outside today as well… so I'm not sure if it would be allowed or not."

The Ambassador waved a hand dismissively. It was amazing that so random a gesture could be turned into something that radiated grace and dignity. Anyone else would have looked like a fool. "My actions are my own prerogative. I think attending your workshop would be beneficial to the both of us, so I will go. There is nothing creating conflict in my schedule, therefore no excuse to pass this opportunity. However, I will need a method of communication so that I can be contacted if there is urgent need of my presence. If you do not mind, could you provide my assistant Toluk with a means to contact with you in the event that I am called upon?"

Amanda blinked, surprised that Sarek agreed to accompany her so suddenly. "Yes… of course." She stood, and then promptly sat back down.

It took all of her willpower to not throw up all over the Ambassador's floor. The dizziness she felt earlier was back with vengeance. Could she even make it to the drop point in the condition that she was in? The look of concern that Amanda was hoping for earlier decided to suddenly emerge on Sarek's features. "You _are_ ill. You were not like this yesterday."

"Humans are fragile things Ambassador. I'm fine though. After my workshop I think I'll lie down. With your assistance during the lesson I think I can manage." Amanda attempted to stand, and this time remained upright. "It's a bit of a walk to the meeting place though. Some fresh air will, don't you think? I was told our atmosphere is rich in oxygen compared to your homeworld. You'd never know it in these stuffy rooms." She collected herself and wandered over to one of the windows in an attempt to stretch her legs. Sarek didn't comment and started to talk to one of his attendants again in preparation.

Amanda took in the simple Seattle view while waiting for Sarek to declare he was ready to depart. He had the attendant known as Toluk stay behind, but another looked as though he were going to accompany them. Amanda was a little hesitant, but then she thought it better then a company of Starfleet goons. Besides, the mastermind behind this plan didn't say anything about getting Sarek there alone - or did she? How little she could recall from yesterday! Stress was her worst enemy.

After organizing, the three of them exited the lavish room and slipped out of the Embassy by using an emergency exit that Amanda pointed out. This way, there were a lot less eyes staring at them. The regal looking Sarek seemed out of place as he slipped through the well-tended gardens that surrounded the building, as did his assistant. Amanda, however, felt more at ease now that she managed to get the Ambassador to follow her. She stuck to the less populated streets with travelling and crossed through abandoned plots of land to get to the park with little notice. This made the Vulcan that accompanied them rather suspicious.

"These areas we are traversing seem rather unfit for Ambassador Sarek. Is there a reason for your particular choice of route?" He asked in a flat voice that annoyed Amanda a little.

She hesitated in answering and entered an alleyway that would lead them straight to the park entrance. The sudden smells caused her to lose her facade and turn to the nearest dust bin in order to dry heave - since she hadn't eaten since her last meeting with Sarek. Both Vulcans looked at Amanda quizzically, but she tried to cover by distracting them with the answer to the younger alien's question.

"Seattle isn't used to off-worlders like San Francisco or New York. I thought it would be nice to take a more peaceful detour. Besides, the Ambassador's not complaining." Amanda flashed Sarek an uneasy smile that he didn't respond to. She had a sinking feeling that she wasn't fooling anyone with her 'everything's all right' face. At this thought she snapped her head back to the forward position and quickened her pace. The Vulcans were _not_ enjoying this walk and getting more suspicious with every step. Then again, Amanda couldn't help but feel like she was leading lambs to slaughter.

The young woman winced at the visual it gave her.

As they entered the park, Amanda started to slow down. Perhaps it was the sickness finally getting to her, or maybe it was her conscious telling her that everything she was doing was wrong. What was she doing? How many more times was she going to ask herself that question before she'd be content with her actions? She couldn't risk Sarek's life to save her own… and yet she was.

It proved that down at her core, she was selfish. Selfish and _scared_.

Amanda slowed to a stop and stared at the concrete with glassy eyes. Was she really like that? Her current position answered that question all too well. But she was better then that wasn't she? She had an empathetic heart and a good set of morals. Why was she going against everything her conscious was telling her? Sure the deal sounded good coming from the psycho assassin - Amanda's life back for a heart-to-heart with the Ambassador - but was she really going to believe in the reassurances of someone who most likely kidnapped her roommate and cat? As if poisoning her wasn't enough? For goodness sake! What was happening to her!

The woman whipped around, her blue eyes seeking Sarek's dark ones. "Sarek-"

But her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to tell him everything, prove that she wasn't a coward, and yet the words wouldn't come. She _was_ a coward. She was banking on the words of her assailant; hoping that there was a logical choice to take... a possible right decision to make.

"Yes Grayson?" The Vulcan replied with a puzzled tone. Amanda noted that her actions must have looked so strange to someone so logical. The teacher fought to try and provide him an explanation, but it didn't come yet again. Defeated, she started to walk towards a steep incline. "Do Vulcans have any enemies?"

"A few. Though, not as many as Earth." He said simply, beckoning the awkward silence to return yet again. Why couldn't one of them possess a shred of charisma?

Amanda climbed up a sheltered path that looked like it hadn't been used in a few years. Surprisingly the Vulcans followed, though not without suspicion. "Do you always have your classes in such strange locations?" the Ambassador asked as they made it to the top of a tall hill that over looked the park. Here the breeze could easily be felt, and the city viewed, for it stretched out at their feet for miles. Amanda couldn't reply immediately, because she was out of breath and struggling to stop herself from fainting. "No… just today…"

They were finally at the co-ordinates now. They still had a few minutes before the allotted time, but Amanda did it. She followed the villain's plan, and now what happened was entirely out of her hands. The ball was in the bad guy's court. Ambassador Sarek tilted his head at the teacher, wondering why they had stopped. The woman gulped for air and looked around, trying not to look at Sarek directly. "This is the meeting place… we're a bit early."

Sarek nodded while his assistant wondered over to a nearby tree and furrowed his brow at it. Amanda checked her watch and sighed. She needed to sit down or she was going to fall over from exhaustion; but, just as she went to perch herself on a large boulder, Sarek's head shot up and his eyes flashed to the left. Amanda instinctively followed his actions but was too late to react to what happened fast enough.

The time had come.

The sounds of suddenly accelerated particles were almost drowned out by the whine of a laser being discharged from an old style sniping rifle. Amanda felt a hand on her forearm drag her a few inches sideways before an intense wave of pain overwhelmed her. It started at the shoulder and spread to the rest of her body making her scream in agony. The cry was cut short as small flashes of light danced across her vision. For the first time her atoms were being pulled apart and dragged through space. The last thought that went through her head before rematerializing was that what ever happened had went terribly wrong, and it was all her fault.

* * *

**Authors Note**: One of the toughest chapters to write. I just wanted to get it over with so I could start writing from Sarek's POV, which is next chapter! Woo! His thoughts are going to clear up a lot of his behavior. I'm actually very amused by what he's thinking when I'm writing from Amanda's point of view since they completely misunderstand each other. It's hilarious at points... but I can't share the humor since I'm showing Mandy's head not his. T-T

Thank you again for the reviews, and sorry if you were hoping that this was a Sarek chapter. Next one though, promise!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**The Woman**

* * *

His first impression of Amanda Grayson was that she possessed an overwhelming ineptitude that bordered on what a Terran would call a 'joke'. For several moments Sarek had to re-evaluate the potential for his colleagues to express such humor, because calling such a young woman a cultural expert was absurd. Clearly her actions demonstrated lack complete lack of ability to even follow her own cultural rules, let alone his. Who was she to think that with a wave of her hand she could command him to sit in a chair that had he _wanted_ to occupy, could have without her help?

Yet it was not a prank. This woman was indeed granted the title presented, no matter how little talent she held towards it.

Something was very off with this human. Grayson smiled and spoke her mind when there was no topic really present. She poured her thoughts onto the table with little reserve, and for some reason… some strange and mysterious reason - Sarek was drawn to them. Her words captured his attention as if he were passing the aftermath of some sort of horrific traffic accident. It was so out of the ordinary. No Vulcan could stand comfortably in her presence; it was the way she simply radiated human irrationality. Did this woman really fumble through the world like some crawling child? If so, how could she function here? She was a lump of dough sitting next to beings that had been sculpted into their respective niches. She was not ready.

Sarek started to become fascinated the more out of place he found her. Her opinions shook him. It must have been the years of drawled speeches and dry reports… or the painted bureaucrats and drawn out treaties, but her concept of hope stuck with him. This woman, who spent the entirety of the meeting glued to her portable console rather then doing what she was _actually_ there for, infected him with curiosity.

He couldn't stop thinking about her purpose – her existence. She was absolutely useless, completely uninterested in the debate that had been under his skin for months, and not even part of the Earth Government – but she was _there_; like dandruff on the shoulder, or a spot on a white carpet.

And that line, the one that echoed in his head, "_The ability to overcome any obstacle, no matter the odds is something that our people cherish._" It made him think of the brutish nature that humans could not seem to control. Their need to spread, planet to planet, and force their wills upon those that did not share their blood – it disgusted him. The meeting was a demonstration of this… Grayson _knew_ that.

"_It gives us hope_."

Yet she found a sunny slope on the mountain of human flaws he kept filed in the back of his organized mind. Hope was something Sarek struggled with. To his knowledge, it was something sacred to humans. They needed it like air.

Various readings of Earth literature began to bubble to the surface of his thoughts. Greek Mythology came first, with the tale of Pandora and her jar of demons. Humans had a unique way of recording their faults into pretty parables, it made studying them far easier. Pandora and her jar were perfect metaphors for the human's expressive personality and their ability to cause trouble when trouble could have been avoided . If this story existed on Vulcan, the jar would have remained closed and the parable would be a valuable lesson. But humans confronted demons, were enslaved by them. Sarek knew these demons well, having observed them in the human soul for so long; Greed, pride, control, anger… they were the faults of humanity. But there was something else in the jar a Vulcan would have never met – Hope, and the avatar for hope was Grayson.

He wanted to know more about the subject, so Sarek invited Grayson to dinner. He needed to study her, talk to her and figure out if there was _something_ redeeming about humanity.

And there was.

This young one wasn't as naïve as Sarek first thought. Evil wasn't a foreign concept, nor did she deny that it existed in the human heart; yet still, she retained a positive outlook on her race. How was this possible given the facts both parties agreed on? On a similar topic, Grayson agreed with him when it came to the decision to refuse her people Vulcan information.

Grayson, a human dominated by emotion, came to the same conclusion as a Vulcan guided by logic. This fact made Sarek doubt. Seldom did the heart and mind come together. One _must_ be malfunctioning. The question was whether or not it was Sarek's logic or Grayson's heart. Which was it?

The woman left before a suitable conclusion could be drawn.

And she didn't return home that night.

The information made him uncomfortable. To him, she was a puzzle to conquer. She wore humanity on her sleeve and for the first time it drew Sarek in rather then repelled. It made his duty to this illogical planet little brighter. Perhaps even… _hopeful_.

He needed to meditate.

Sarek was losing a battle against irrationality. The thoughts he previously created revolved around an entity that served no purpose in his life. Diplomatic functions should be foremost on his mind, and this matter regarding Vulcan information was his first priority. His time was valuable.

The plethora of previous conferences he had sat through started to spill through his consciousness. So many diplomats, so many grueling debates that ate at his concrete patience. Was this what his life was going to add up to? Talking inferior beings into circles due to their inability to understand what is best not just for them, but for the universe? What was this deep seated yearning in the corner of his mind? A glow in the shadows of the room that captured his attention? A woman tapping a tablet pen to her lips…

Why could she walk through his mind so easily? A human. A flawed human. A _perfect_ human.

When he left his private chamber and found Grayson asleep in his chair, his eyebrows rose to his hairline. It was as if destiny was testing him today.

The ambassador approached her much like a critic would an art piece. Immediately his keen eyes noticed that something was not right with this situation. This was _not_ the Grayson he was accustomed to. Stress was written all over her features, even in slumber. Her skin was waxy in appearance, and sunken around the eyes. When she batted them open, it took 2.7 seconds longer for the irises to focus then normal. Then upon speaking, she babbled like an idiot; not that that was _completely_ out of the ordinary.

All this information could be explained in a variety of ways. Sarek decided not to push the subject unless she felt the need to shed light upon it; after all, it wasn't his business.

It was when she attempted to lie to him when he knew something was seriously amiss. He knew enough about Grayson to realize that she could not generate a motive strong enough to make her violate her morals. There was an outside force influencing her. Running with this theory, Sarek attempted to piece events together by evaluating the facts. She was well when he last left her. She didn't make it home last night, even though she knew that the Admiral was going to call. Something had her stressed, stuttering _and_ ill… and now she was trying to get him, an _Ambassador,_ to attend one of her workshops.

Whoever was behind this was an amateur.

Sarek was going to get to the bottom of this. He turned to Toluk, his senior assistant, and in a lowered voice asked him to inquire about Grayson's teaching schedule and if there actually was a workshop planned for that afternoon. He needed to make sure, and perhaps have proof of her deceit. Toluk acknowledged his orders and took out a touch screen as if leisurely viewing his superior's agenda. The linguist didn't even look his way. In the meantime, Sarek took the time to consent to Grayson's request. He did so in order to discern her reaction, and judge just how badly she was being manipulated. He became confused as she registered shock, but then relaxed as a flash of guilt appeared in her eyes. It intrigued the Ambassador. Whatever she was going to do, she did not like.

It all came together when Toluk confirmed that there was no planned lecture that afternoon and that Grayson was leading him into a trap. Sarek struggled to keep his emotions at bay. There were so many squirming in the depths of his unconscious. He only let his inquisitiveness through, for it was the only one required for the task at hand. He needed to know what was the cause of this terrible act. Whoever it was, waited where ever the woman was going to take him - and Sarek did not intend for them to wait long.

He took Sylek with him as his guard, since he wasn't informed of the potential trap and therefore would react in ways that Grayson could anticipate. This way Sarek could focus on what was physically effecting Grayson during the walk rather then try to counter her façade with his own.

At the assumed destination Sarek thought he had the most of what had occurred in the past 24 hours theorized. Grayson was poisoned, for nothing else could be effecting her system this rapidly. Viral or bacterial infection usually caused fever from what he knew of human biology, and so far Grayson had every symptom _but_ that. If he had to guess what she was afflicted with, he'd say _le-matya _venom, and that was only available on Vulcan, adding another dimension to the puzzle. Grayson was being used by someone or something thing in return for her life, perhaps; and her asking about Vulcan enemies supported all of this. Now he just needed to figure out what or who would want him in their clutches and why. A few candidates came to mind…

But just as he started to formulate the probabilities of each potential villain, he found himself being locked onto by a transporter. He turned to see if Grayson would be teleported with him just in time to catch the pointy eared head of a Romulan girl staring down the scope of a laser rifle. She fired and Sarek tried to get Grayson out of the assassin's firing path. He succeeded in protecting her vital organs, yet the woman was struck in the shoulder and was suffering from a massive shock caused by whatever energy was transferred. He couldn't assess her condition anymore due to his molecules being reconfigured into energy and propelled somewhere foreign.

He didn't know how long he was held in space, but when Sarek rematerialized he was surrounded by Romulan men with phasers and grim expressions. Grayson was writhing on the floor at his feet. She seemed to be unconscious, yet her muscles and nerves were reacting horribly to the weapon she was struck with. Her shoulder was bleeding through her shirt, making a sickening puddle of red on the glass of the transporter pad.

Before Sarek could inquire as to where he was and why, the Romulan girl with the rifle beamed beside him with a large smile on her face. Immediately the Ambassador recognized her and gave her a hard stare.

"Nula. I should have known. There was a 87% chance that this ambush had something to do with Romulans based on past conflict. The statistics would be higher when coupled with the amateur use of manipulation on a human woman, but I did not think any Romulan would lower themselves so. "

"Sarek, the only Vulcan with a sense of humor. Stop being so melodramatic." She replied, stepping off the pad with a dainty hop. The Ambassador raised an eyebrow at how nonchalant she was acting. This Romulan girl violated several serious laws, and yet acted as if he only caught her with a hand in a cookie jar. "I was merely stating facts; no matter how whimsical they may appear."

Nula's dark eyes roamed over Grayson's form before returning to the Ambassador's face. "I didn't mean for_ her_ to come along, but you made me miss. Vulcans are always spoiling the fun."

Sarek kneeled next to Grayson and frowned at her wound. "Your disrespect for life is deplorable. I demand that you assist Miss Grayson. If she dies it would make two issues that your father will have to address; the first being my kidnapping, the second Grayson's death. Violating treaties with two separate planets is a very unwise course of action Nula. However, given your unbalanced mind, I can see why it occurred. A logical solution will be reached, but only if you heed my words."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Words words words. That's what I hate about Ambassadors. Father is the same." She set down her gun on the transporter controls, earning a frown by a Romulan engineer. "I'll play nicely Sarek, _if_ you destroy the Vulcan database and return to Vulcan." She leaned against the control station, an impish grin ever present on her face.

"You will not interfere in my actions. You will take Grayson to sickbay while we continue this discussion elsewhere."

Nula puffed out her cheeks. "Fine! I respect you as a Vulcan so I will do this for you. The human is useless anyway." She gestured for her men to take the woman away. "But your in my debt Sarek! I'm busy at the moment trying to keep Starfleet from figuring out their Ambassador is missing... so I'll talk to you in half an hour. Go look after your human friend." The Romulan headed to the door with her nose in the air, but paused at the threshold. "I thought she was lying when she said she influenced you- and you call _me _unbalanced! No matter… out of the two of us, she'll be the most mentally unfit. That weapon does so much nerve damage I doubt her brain would make it through the trauma." She laughed like a spoiled brat. "Tough luck."

The whisper of the doors opening ended the conversation. Sarek was lead at phaser point to the small craft's miniature sickbay. It was like the interior of a Terran Ambulance. Grayson was placed on the only cot and wasn't looking healthy.

The doors shut behind him and he found himself alone with the human. The occasional beep of the monitor connected to Grayson made the ability to concentrate rather difficult. He sat down next to her and rested his elbows on his knees in order to entwine his fingers and peer over them in contemplation. He was in the hands of an insane Romulan girl who felt that her mission in life was to make her father, Ambassador S'Tarkus, proud by doing what was right for Romulus. The problem was that Nula had her own guidelines for what was good and what was bad, and they changed often. The real question was how could this _child_ manage to make it this far? The only ships allowed in orbit around Earth were Starfleet's and occasional foreign transport shuttles that had to make it through several security checkpoints.

Someone was helping her, and maybe Amanda knew.

Sarek looked at the woman's wan face intently. She was pale and bloody with a look of agony on her sleeping features. Somewhere in her mind there may be a key to the real reason they were aboard this craft… if only he could reach it.

He looked to his hands, then to the young woman again.

Maybe he could.

* * *

**Authors Notes**: Now after writing for Sarek, I'm starting to miss writing for Amanda. His thoughts are so cold. It was difficult to keep him likable, but then again, I don't think he was built to be likable. You met Nula in this chapter. God, she's a sorry excuse for a villian, but she's unpredicable which I thought would interesting when contrasting her with Sarek. I love writing for brats, they generate some good hate! Also, I hope that Sarek's views on Amanda don't seem too harsh. Unlike other Amanda -Sarek fics, my Amanda is built to be full of flaws and not the smartest coconut in the tree (though by no means is she an idiot).

iadggm - ... I see. You discovered my weak point. My English Literature professor would slaughter my essays with his red pen, and the THEN and THAN mistakes is what he hated the most. I'll fix them ASAP. Thank you for pointing it out... I just can't seem to register a difference between the two when I'm reading. I hope there isn't any in this chapter... hmm...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

**The Dream**

* * *

It had to be a dream, otherwise her nemesis had a very strange sense of humor.

Amanda found herself in the midst of sitcom - or at least what she perceived as the set of one. She stood next to a large dinning room table laden with glistening meats and casseroles. On her figure she wore a cocktail dress that probably hadn't seen the light of day for three centuries. With it was a plaid apron that matched outrageously. The colors of both were a special kind of neon that seemed to make Amanda wince every time she glanced in the mirror.

The mirror itself was something strange. It's frame was overly ornate and pinned to the railings of a staircase that lead no where . In the reflection she could see ghosts of people moving around in the audience – even though the rows were empty. Her hollow looking eyes stared back at her. Everything was unnerving.

"I'm going mad…" The woman whispered as she yanked off a pair of oven mitts (that she didn't even knew she had on) from her hands. Both gloves hit the floor dramatically, cueing a laugh track that made Amanda yelp in surprise. "Oh c'mon!" She sputtered to the ceiling, hoping someone would hear her. When her heart stopping trying to jump out of her chest so looked around a bit more. The stage lights were blinding her, but she could make out a few cameras and some baloneys in beyond the decorated dais.

"This is ridiculous… wake up Mandy… wake up…" Her voice was shaken. This was unlike any dream she had before. It was too real.

She wandered around desperately, eventually pinching herself and half expecting the walls to peel or even blur as she transitioned into reality; but nothing of the sort occurred. Frustration made the teacher throw herself onto a wooden chair and stare at the floor. She was back where she started at the dining room table.

What was she doing here? And why couldn't she remember falling asleep? Did she nod off marking again? Perhaps she had a little bit too much of the midnight wine…

Something was bothering her, like a weight on her heart. Absent mindedly she put a hand to her shoulder. She turned to her hand and frowned at it, feigning dusting off her frilly apron to make the gesture make sense.

As if waiting for the opportunity to scare the wits out of Amanda, half a dozen Sareks appeared in all the available chairs surrounding the table. Amanda jumped yet again, crying "Jesus!" before she could control herself. The woman gripped the back of her own chair as if holding onto it would save her from what happened next. Nothing stirred. The six pairs of eyes just stared at her, full of malice. The Ambassador's face was like stone, and suddenly everything flooded back to her.

"I didn't mean to betray you! Honest! I knew you trusted me… but…" She started before letting go of the chair and jumping to her feet in a fit of passion that was totally out of place. Her sentence trailed off lamely in the stillness of the room and Amanda resorted to hanging her head. After a moment she mumbled, "You're not even here… " and sat back down again.

The teacher put her hand back to her shoulder again. This time there was pain buried there. For a second she wondered if she were dying and was in some sort of strange 'sub-heaven' where she had to face her sins before she could move on. What happened if she didn't? Would she be stuck in this ancient silent sitcom for all eternity?

She would deserve it for what she did…

Sarek trusted her, and she used that trust to put him in danger.

The woman grabbed some of her auburn locks and wrung them as if expecting to get answers out of them. Of course it didn't work. "What can I do to atone for what I did?" Amanda raised her head, her blue eyes turning to each Sarek in turn with absolute sincerity - but they didn't move. After a moment they began to flicker and fade, leaving Amanda alone as she was when she first appeared on the set. The loneliness hit her hard.

An empty house, with no one in the audience. No laugh track now. No one applauding at her every move. This wasn't a sitcom, it was a horrible soap opera, and she was the star. Was this a metaphor for her life? Was it really like this? All vacant and cold? Where did those Sarek's fit into this?

This was a terrible dream! Wake up! Wake up!

Amanda got to her feet and started to pace frantically. There had to be something she could do! This was no ordinary dream… maybe if she tried to knock herself out she could get back to reality? What if she died here…

With a deafening chime that made Amanda clap her hands to her ears, the doorbell rang. Her head whipped in the direction of the stage door. "What… the…" she started to murmur before realizing that she probably should be asking '_who_' rather then '_what_'. The woman took a few hesitant steps towards the source of the sound, before full out dashing to the door and yanking it open.

Applause erupted from no where in particular, but Amanda paid it no attention.

"I sincerely apologize for the intrusion." Ambassador Sarek said in a deep voice that seemed to penetrate every fiber of Amanda's being. This Sarek was different from the ones that materialized earlier… but he was also different from the Sarek in reality. He seemed younger, and more venerable… like his mask was removed. Amanda said nothing as she stepped aside in a dream-like motion and let the Vulcan onto the set. Perhaps it was the complete shock that was written all over her face, or the slight drop her jaw made, but Sarek seemed uncomfortable. Usually he never seemed like _anything_.

He looked around the studio with his eyebrows knitted together. A once over was enough to satisfy his curiosity. "You have a very strange imagination."

Amanda made to open her mouth and reply, but nothing came out. What was there to say? Was he even the real Sarek? If he was, why was he here in her subconscious? Amanda wanted to reach out and touch him just to make sure he was there, but she refrained and sat down at her usual chair. Without any of her usual reserve she stared at the Ambassador with the most confused expression she could muster.

Sarek decided to take the initiative. "Miss Grayson. Currently you are critically injured and being held prisoner by the Romulan known as Nula E-Fethreie. She will most probably kill you at her next opportunity." Sarek approached Amanda carefully as if measuring every step. His hands were behind his back, making Amanda a little nervous despite this being her own dream. It seemed as though he were building up to ask her a favor. He continued. "She is inexperienced and would not have been able to abduct me so easily without help – yours excluded."

That statement, spoken so softly, still felt like a slap to the face; but it was the truth. "I'm sorry. Really… I am." Amanda attempted to smile, but she knew in the back of her mind that cuteness had no merit with a Vulcan. "She poisoned me. Unless I did something I'd be dead in 24 hours; that, and she threatened my family. It seemed logical to follow through with her plan. Don't you Vulcan's have a saying? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?"

Ambassador Sarek took a deep breath. "We do not have time to assess whether your actions were right or wrong. I understand the motive behind what you did, and that is all I need regarding that subject… for now."

Amanda nodded. The shock of Sarek being in her head was beginning to wear off, and the questions she wanted to ask before started to jumble into words.

"Then what are you doing in my dream? You're not mind melded with me are you!" Amanda's voice went up an octave. She knew that Vulcan's had some interesting abilities, and that was one of the more fascinating ones, but usually Vulcans refrained from even mentioning them among strangers, let alone use them _on_ them. Such techniques were veiled in mystery, and that's the way Vulcans liked to keep it. Vulcans rarely melded with anyone but those extremely close with them - at least that's what the textbooks said. If Sarek was mind-melded with her…

Sarek was definitely uncomfortable now, if he wasn't before. He stood center stage and allowed the stage lights to make a shadow out of his face to help assist his emotion suppression. It seemed harder to retain them in the mind of someone whose feelings liked to run rampant every second of every day. "I am not entirely bonded. Considering your mental state, it is possible for me to manifest myself in your thoughts. I am using a precise form of telepathy," he explained simply.

"Oh…" Amanda blurted. There was a mixture of emotions now swirling within her. She was surprised to find that disappointment was the most outstanding. "Then… why are you here?... boredom?" They would have to be close by in order for him to use his abilities, perhaps he just wanted to talk. Then again, that seemed like something a human would do - not Sarek.

"I am here to ask for your permission to become one with your mind."

Amanda turned bright red. How could he just waltz in here and ask her something like that! It was as if he were asking her for a stick of gum! The teacher struggled to clear her mind, but the laugh track kicked in making the both of them jump and look around. "What was that sound?" Sarek inquired, recovering faster then Amanda.

"It's…. nothing. Just dream stuff." Why was this happening to her? "Umm…" Amanda stood up, her face still faintly pink. "I'm sorry if I'm not entirely clear on Vulcan customs, but don't Vulcan's only meld with… well…" She couldn't finish her sentence, there was already too much blood rushing to her cheeks, any more she was going to get a nose bleed. As if things couldn't get any _more_ awkward.

Sarek stared at Amanda, making her feel even more uncomfortable even though at the back of her mind she thought she should be used to it by now. When she didn't continue he assumed that she never would. "You would be the first human to ever experience _kash-nohv, _but in my defense I am a most accomplished 'mind-melder' and have done it a few times previously."

This didn't make her feel any better. For some reason it put her on the defensive. "Oh really? Just how many minds have you penetrated?" She couldn't get the image of him surrounded by a bunch of Vulcan women swooning over his sensual melding abilities out of her head. Did Vulcans even brag about that kind of stuff?

The Ambassador raised an eyebrow at her question. "Your tone changed."

"Nicely noted _Einstein_." Amanda said before she could stop herself. Sarek looked confused at this rebuttal, making the teacher feel horrible for using sarcasm against the poor Vulcan. It wasn't his fault she was stressed out and trapped in some sort of nightmare. "I'm sorry. I just… can I say no? I mean, there's a lot in this human brain of mine I don't want you to see." It was her mind after all. Him being in her dreams was embarrassing enough.

Sarek hardened his voice and pinned her with stern look. "I need to view your memories to find data on who may be behind this plot." Sarek turned his back to Amanda and stared into the empty audience. "You will not wake if this issue is not resolved."

The woman jumped to her feet and looked at Sarek with unbelieving eyes. "Oh come on! You mean to tell me I don't get a choice!"

"You misunderstand! You humans are…" He struggled to find the right word, "Frustrating." Sarek turned back to Amanda, his face a lot less stoic. Amanda was struck dumb with the emotion he fought to keep off of his face. It turned him into a whole other person. "I do not wish to meld with your mind, but it is the only available option to me at the moment. Nula will return in thirteen minutes and forty-two seconds and yet it took that amount of time and more just to explain my presence!" Anger made his face flush green. "I'm trying to save you!"

Amanda stood entranced.

Sarek covered his face with one hand and attempted to return to his usual stoic self. "Your choice is death or _kash-nohv_. I am offering you life Grayson. I offering you Hope. Please take it."

What was he saying? How did this turn around? He was the one asking for information. He was the one not taking no for an answer. He was the one offering hope. This was not the Vulcan way.

Amanda slowly crept up to Sarek till she stood a few centimeters away. Her eyes were level with his chest and seemed to stare through it as she spoke. "I don't want to die Sarek," she whispered. Hot tears threatened to pour out of her eyes for so many different reasons. Sarek was trying to save her, after what she did to him. She wasn't even fully aware that in reality she was in such a dire situation. It would be stupid to deny Sarek the means to try and solve the problem out of pure vanity. So what if this was going to reveal some embarrassing emotions? This was going to be more awkward for Sarek.

The Ambassador looked down at the woman before him and raised his hands. He waited to see if she would resist before he put his fingers to her psi-points and began to meld with her mind. It was a lot easier then blending with another Vulcan; Sarek was surprised. The sudden influx of thoughts and feelings was overwhelming. Amanda had no control, no shields to lower or even ability to resist if she wanted to.

Before he knew it, he was spinning into the depths of Amanda's psych. Like a blanket he wrapped himself in her thoughts, ideas, beliefs and memories. Her hopes and dreams tugged at his heart strings and made him feel so many things at once that he struggled to breath in the maelstrom of emotions. Instinct told him to back out while he still had the chance, but his own thoughts buzzed in his ears and reminded him of the damage breaking the connection would cause. He needed to proceed. He needed to let his barriers down.

With much hesitation Sarek relaxed and Amanda's mind enveloped his own like a mother's warm embrace.

And they became one.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I love writing dream sequences. Gives me a lot of creative freedom. I alos like this chapter because I think Sarek and Amanda are starting to understand one another a little more and have reached the stage where they're pushing back and forth to figure out boundries. I had a really good argument originally planned in the middle of this scene, but it really screwed with the flow... so I think I'll use it later.

As for all the Mind-Melding reviews, I knew I'd raise a few eyebrows. I don't think Sarek would ever initiate a meld without permission, it's just not in his character. Spock only did it when Kirk ordered it, or if it was a life or death kind of thing. As for the dream interrupting... if Vulcans can do that whole conscious suggestion thing (Spock used it on guards twice) I think it woul be easier to do it unconsciously. Sarek was good at this kind of stuff anyway...

Thank you all for your reviews. Especially those with a keen eye for proof-reading! I still need to edit the last two chapters... I'll get on that eventually ^^;

Please review! Even if it's a simple 'Yo'. Just knowing your reading my mess of words makes me so happy I could fly~!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**The Meld**

* * *

Memories flowed like water across a screen. The oversaturated colors that made up both Amanda and Sarek's lives started to bleed together, causing a multitude of sensations to overwhelm them both. Fragments of recalled events sped up and slowed down at critical moments. Thoughts and feelings shuffled together until they could no longer be labeled as Amanda's or Sarek's. Confusion and disorientation took over as the pair of minds attempted to process the new perspectives they now faced.

_I am not ready for this. Not ready…_

Suddenly they were a little girl sitting in the middle of her bed. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her small hand clutched at her chest as if wanting to rip her heart out. The girl's dog was dead and would never again wait for her to come home from school; never curl up with her at night and hog half the bed; never love her anymore…

_This can't be what we were looking for._

The Vulcan sun beat down on the back of a small child. His eyes looked around the desert with something close to dread. An older Vulcan in long white robes stood at his side, "You must not fail Sarek. You have shamed me in the past with your failure to restrain your emotions; however, all will be forgotten if you make it back to me alive."

The boy nodded, his eyes taking in the vastness of Vulcan's Forge. He told himself that this moment would be the last time he felt fear. Yet he failed, and it took his father months to even look at him again. Though every Vulcan thought him brave to try and be the youngest to complete the _kahs-wan_, his father thought him worthless… and that was all that mattered to him.

_No child should have had to feel that._

She was giggling, her feet submerged in the water beneath the dock she sat on. Beside her was an older boy wearing a patched jersey. He passed the pre-teen a bottle of something that smelled awful, and she took one gulp before sputtering and shoving it back. "God David! That stuff tastes awful! How can your parents drink that stuff?" Her words were slurred through the smile that didn't seem to want to go away.

The boy laughed, his face red from the alcohol. "Yeah… I dunno…" Their hands slipped together, and they stared at each other before looking away embarrassed. The girl was first to recover from the moment of shyness. She looked up at the sky, her head wavering from side to side drunkenly as she did so. The moonlight shimmered on her face. "Remember back in Elementary School… when they dressed us up as stupid little stars and tried to make us sing?"

"Yeah, I think my mom still has the chip with that on it." The boy replied, scooting closer to his date and putting an arm around her shoulder. The girl leaned her head against his chest and continued to watch the sky. She felt so comfortable and so warm inside. In a whisper she began to sing, "Twinkle, twinkle… little star…" The boy joined in with her, and when they reached the end of childhood rhyme, they leaned into each other and kissed.

_Love… _

His fingers caressed her cheek, but the eyes he locked onto held no emotion. The Vulcan woman merely took a step back and raised her chin to demonstrate her superiority. "I have no wish to under-go _Kali-Farr_." This statement confused the young Vulcan, and he struggled to keep his face from showing his distress. His pose turned defensive and he could barely keep his voice from rising. "Then I will battle a male of your choosing and defend my right to have you as my wife. You may choose anyone! I am ready."

The woman turned her back on him and spoke to the empty corridor rather then his face. His show of desperation was embarrassing for her. "We have mated in error Sarek. This child is a shamed one, and will grow to loathe any future progeny of our line. To prevent this, there will be no more. Furthermore, I will not initiate Kali-Fee, for I will not have your house lose its eldest heir. Whom I choose would surely kill you."

The man ground his teeth and balled his hands into fists. This was too much to bear, even for a Vulcan. "I would rather die honorably for you, then let you walk away from me."

She said nothing and bowed her head, refusing to even look over her shoulder at her mate. After several moments she moved. The sounds of her walking down the dark hallway and out of sight haunted the Vulcan for years. He never saw T'Rel again, or his shamed son.

… _we have lingered too long. Enough of this. I can not take anymore._

The woman was overwhelmed with fear, at her throat a knife dug into her skin, allowing blood to roll down her neck in one long scarlet line. Her blue eyes shimmered in the dim light of the nearest street lamp. She looked to her rear-view mirror, scoping out the outline of her assailant.

_This is it_.

The features made more sense now that a feeling of calm deadened the panic. It was as if the memory slowed down and lost its core emotions. Logic guided the woman's eyes to distinguishing features that should have been picked up had the teacher been less alarmed at the time.

The assassin had pointed ears and skin as dark as cocoa. The knife was of Romulan make as well, and the alien's hands were tattooed with strange spirals and symbols. This person was not Nula, but an intergalactic felon dubbed Mars.

_This has become very disastrous._

Amanda choked as the warmth of Sarek's fingertips moved away from her face. Tears welled in her eyes from the shock of experiencing such old and new memories so rapidly. She stumbled backwards to land heavily back on the dinning room chair that starred in her creepy dreamscape. After taking several deep breaths she shook her head and looked around.

Everything was as they left it - an empty studio with an ancient set. Amanda thought she could see a television in the corner of the fake living room that she never noticed before. Only museums had those now.

Dream Sarek was staring at the ground, his face still more readable then the Sarek from Reality. He was looking disturbed. Amanda didn't know what to do or say, but she knew she had to say _something_. "Did those things really happen to you? That moment with your father… and your…" She wanted to say ex-girlfriend, but she didn't know all the facts.

The Ambassador looked up at Amanda, making her heart jump up into her throat for his brown eyes were burning with something she could only describe as passion. It didn't fit well with his well sculpted face. The mixture of anger, love and fear summed up everything they had experienced together, but it didn't belong on _his_ features as it did hers.

He cringed and looked back down to his feet as if in pain.

"Are you all right?" Amanda immediately got to her feet and rushed to him. Without thought, she put a hand on his shoulder and tried to assess what the problem was. He shooed her away violently, making the woman's eyes widen with fear; after all, she was only trying to help.

"I am… compromised. Your emotions were stronger then I expected. I am having a hard time processing them. Some I have never felt before, so I do not know what to do with them." Both his hands were on his temples as if he were suffering from a massive migraine.

Amanda didn't know whether to apologize or just remain silent and hope he would recover. After a few minutes of trying the latter, she couldn't help herself. Her dreamscape was just to creepy to let silence dominate for long. "Was all that supposed to happen? I thought you were just going to be peeking into one of my memories - an in and out trip… so to speak."

Sarek winced, but some of his usual mannerisms were returning. "As I previously stated, you were the first human to undergo this process. Usually the target of a mind meld is another Vulcan who has control over their emotions. Your mind was terribly overrun, and overwhelmed me. Also, I did not calculate memory intervals correctly, since I only had a Vulcan lifetime to use as a reference. This error drew us to your childhood rather then your recent past. It took me a moment to get my bearings…"

"But I saw _your_ memories."

"Your strong feelings pulled out some of my own. I wasn't prepared for that…" The Ambassador looked away. There was a flush of green in his cheeks that made Amanda's jaw drop slightly. The Vulcan was _blushing_. "So all that stuff really did happen?" She inquired further.

Her curiosity annoyed Sarek; as did the situation he was in. he felt very venerable immersed in a human's psyche. The effects were wearing him down. "I cannot remain here for long Grayson. I have acquired the information I sought, it is now time to use it."

The Vulcan was purposely dodging her question. Amanda was going to have to put more effort into her prying if she really wanted to know more about Sarek; but that was for another time. He had a point. "You can call me Amanda… I think we're past formalities, considering your standing in my brain." Her smile was charming, but it did nothing for the Ambassador. He just continued to stare at her blankly. Amanda cleared her throat. "This woman called Mars… who is she?" The teacher adopted her serious face.

"A notorious criminal. She is Romulan, 5'10", dark skinned with brown eyes. She has no outstanding charges that require court appearance, however, there have been many in the past. Mars manages to avoid all hefty penalties and when cornered she pays her way out. Her specialty is an abundance of contacts. She likes to escalate civil wars and cater to both sides. Many young planets have seen their end at her hands. Many laws have been re-written to try and draw a noose around her neck with little promise." His explanation did not paint a pretty picture. Amanda rubbed her shoulder and frowned. "So what does she want with you?"

Sarek's brow furrowed. "If my theory is correct. Nothing."

Amanda rolled her eyes, "Please explain. I'm only human." As much as it pained her to say it, Sarek was certainly going to be thinking it.

"This is merely speculation, for I do not have all the facts. I am assuming that Nula meant to leave you dead on the surface of Earth; she mentioned so when we were transported. This would put me into a 'sticky situation' as you humans say, for I followed you with little security to a remote location… which the authorities will find rather unlikely and automatically assume that it was _I_ who lured _you_, someone of lesser social standing, to such a locale." The Ambassador put his hands behind his back. "They will suspect me of murder, which Mars could try and escalate into an act of war between Vulcan and Earth."

"But your assistant!" Amanda cried, panicking at the thought of such a huge event occurring just because of her stupidity.

Sarek bowed his head. "He is most probably dead. I doubt Nula would have let him live."

Amanda once again sank into a chair. This was all her fault. Vulcan was the only real solid ally the Federation had, and she was going to be the cause of their friendship dissolving. "But… I'm here. I'm on the ship. I'm alive."

"That would be easy to rectify."

In a dire situation, Amanda noted that a Vulcan was the worst person to try and draw morale from. They seemed a pessimistic race. "Great. I'm stuck in Dreamland while some psycho Romulan is trying to kill me."

"Your situation is indeed grave. I estimate you have less then a five percent chance of survival… and that is if I try everything in my power to preserve your life. However, doing so will reduce my own likelihood of living through this. I am forced to make the logical decision to sacrifice your life for the continuation of my own so that I may find a better opportunity to inform both of our people of Mars' plot"

Amanda drew her legs up onto the seat of the wooden chair so that she could wrap her arms around her knees. She could feel each of her heartbeats resonating through her body, telling her of its want to stay alive.

"I understand completely." And she really did. After all, she deserved death for what she had done. If she had let herself die, or even if she went to the hospital in hopes of finding an antidote, she could have contacted the police and maybe thwarted this whole thing before it turned into a terrible ordeal. She allowed herself to be weak, to be human. It made her harping on Sarek for being Vulcan ironic.

People couldn't help being what they were. She needed to accept this. She was human; fragile, manipulatable… but willing to pay for her mistakes.

Sarek stared at her for a long time. For a second Amanda wished they were still melded to know what he was thinking. She smiled reassuringly, in case he was wondering if she really understood. "Can you do me a favor before you go?"

The Ambassador hesitated in his reply. "What is the favor?"

Amanda stood up and dusted off her cocktail dress self-consciously. There was no dust in her dream, but she half-hoped the terrible color scheme would wake her up from this mess. "Would you mind if I hugged you?"

The look on the Vulcan's face was worth a lifetime to see. Confusion and shock made an interesting combination on the usually stony visage of the Ambassador. He recovered quickly now that he had been exposed to Grayson's psyche for a good length of time. "A hug?"

"You know what I mean. An embrace. The human equivalent of… a Vulcan handshake… I guess." She grinned. It was odd how her mood worked now that she knew she would probably be dead in the next few hours. It was… care-free.

"Yes I mind."

Of course he would say that. Amanda was expecting it. She walked up to him slowly, as if she meant not to startle him. "Do you mind if I hug you anyway? Think of it as my last request – as selfish as it is."

Sarek looked down at the woman before him, his eyes searching her face for something. After a while he gave a gentle nod and permitted Amanda to wrap her arms around him. She did so tenderly, laying her head against his chest. His discomfort was evident, but he endured it till she pulled away.

"That wasn't so difficult was it?" There was a hint of a laugh in her voice, but also a wave of sadness. Sarek had the feeling that once he left she would probably break down into tears. Humans had that tendency, especially the emotional ones. Amanda did not seem to be the time who would like to face death alone, trapped in her own mind.

"it seemed a strange gesture." He looked away from her. For some reason when Sarek laid eyes on her now, if made his chest feel heavy. It was a curious biological response that may have a bearing in his psychological wellbeing. He needed to leave. He walked to the door.

Amanda made no move to follow. She stood in her cocktail dress and apron with a heart-breaking smile. When he opened the door he couldn't help but think that she looked like house wife waiting for someone to return home.

When Sarek left her mind, the teacher sat back down and buried her head in her hands. No tears came. She knew they were pointless. All she could do now was wait for death to claim her, or hope that somehow Sarek would turn into her knight and shining armor and everything would be okay.

The woman sighed as the laugh track kicked in and the lights went out.

* * *

**Authors Notes**: Re-wrote the entire last half of this chapter. I did not like it, and I got the same notion from reviewers. I cut out the emotion blabber, you (you know who you are) were right, it can wait. I also re-did Amanda's bit. I like her A LOT better when she's not flying off the handle. I think I need to stop playing up her human side in an attempt to bring out Sarek's humaness and go the opposite way. Let them meet in the middle.

Please re-review on teh changes... if you even notice I changed it ^^; This is going to set the next chapter back a bit. It's another tough one.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

**The Escape**

* * *

Fragile sensations oscillated up his fingertips and into the palm of his hand as the Ambassador pulled away from the sleeping teacher. For a moment he lost himself as the lights of the Sickbay made him close his eyes and become slightly disorientated. Now separated from Amanda Grayson's irrational mind, Sarek felt as if his emotions were underneath a thick blanket. He felt Vulcan again. Hollow. Was that what it meant to be Vulcan? Were these mundane philosophical questions echoes of Grayson's influence? He did not feel like this before, and yet there was a definite lack of something within him… an almost physical space that screamed for something to fill it. The woman's mind had appeased that part of him, and now that they were apart it was like ripping a bandage from his body.

He stared down at Amanda and took in her expression. It changed since he had last seen it - a more pensive look rather then pained. It was good. He felt himself relax a fraction.

His eyes moved to her shoulder to find that it had been bandaged, which shocked the Ambassador, for that meant someone was tinkering around whilst he was within Grayson's mind. That was information he was hoping to keep hidden for now.

Sarek's Vulcan ears picked up a small sound by the door, so he turned around to find Nula leaning against the exit. Curiosity was written all over her. Gracefully, as if showing off her stealth – or lack thereof, she came to stand beside him, her eyes trained on the human. There was tension in the air, but Sarek couldn't tell where it was directed.

"You did that mind thing didn't you? The doctor said you had your hand over her face for half an hour… I was hoping you were trying to suffocate her." Her pointed face angled itself towards the Vulcan. Her tone was full of wonder and a bit of cockiness. The attitude was expected however, because he did act out of the Vulcan norm, so much so even a Romulan was uncomfortable.

Sarek inclined his head. "I did."

Nula leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "I never did learn much about you Vulcans and your strange voodoo… but what I _do_ know is that you don't do that kind of thing with just _anyone_." She looked back to Grayson with her brow furrowed. "She means more to you then I poke fun at you for, doesn't she?"

"She is Terran." Sarek started before standing and addressing Nula as if she were a child that needed a simpler explanation. For anyone else, his last statement would have sufficed."An interesting human I must admit, but she is not my lover nor close compatriot of mine if that is what you are implying."

"Heartless Sarek, so heartless!" Nula said with a smile that harbored a short sigh of relief; the reaction confused the Ambassador. "Logical." Sarek returned quietly, with a Vulcan version of an eye roll. "From consulting with Grayson, I have learned the true villain behind this affair. I must warn you Nula E-Fethreie, you are in over your head. Mars is not one to be taken lightly. She will puppet you as she has this human." He gestured to Amanda.

Nula adopted a defensive stance. "That woman has less than half the wit I possess!"

"I did not mean to insult Nula. Let us start again. It is my assumption that she is attempting to start a conflict between Vulcan and Earth so that she may benefit from the resulting turmoil. Earth is currently experiencing trouble with the Kling-ons and require aid; however, if Vulcan decides to no longer align themselves with the Federation after the dramatic situation that Mars will undoubtedly produce, the Romulans, or more specifically - Mars, can take the niche my homeworld used to fill."

"Sounds good for us." Nula said, looking at her fingernails with a grin on her face. "Clever Vulcan… figuring out our plot."

Sarek tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "_Our_ plot Nula? You are aware that this scheme is entirely concocted by Mars for her own profit, not yours. Romulus will feature last on her list of priorities when the time comes to order them. She is an exile of your government, surely you knew that?"

The Romulan girl narrowed her eyes at the Vulcan. Leashed anger was making her face adopt a greenish tinge. "Of course I know! That's what makes her perfect for the part… if anything goes wrong Romulus won't take the fall for it."

The Ambassador shook his head slowly. "Did _she_ tell you that Nula? It sounds like a lie one would tell a little girl to coax her. Don't you think?"

Nula's hands turned into fists, but Sarek smirked behind his rigid mask. There was a small chance that he could pull some strings of his own and puppeteer the Romulan girl… maybe even save Grayson if he managed to confuse Nula enough – her young mind wasn't too strong. Yet, there was a small voice - which Sarek could only assume was his logical conscious - that said he was straying too far from the Vulcan way. Manipulation of others was not peaceful in any respect, and frankly, very human of him.

"I planned this! I have you in _my_ Sickbay!" Her voice became raised as she wagged a finger at the Ambassador in an effort to assert what little power she currently had.

"You are correct Nula. I will not deny that you have put me in a very difficult position, but you share some of it. You cannot trust Mars. You can only trust yourself." Sarek put his hands neatly behind his back. "So I propose you develop a back-up plan incase Mars turns on you."

The girl wrinkled her nose. "She won't."

"Oh? You should know her record better then I. How many accomplices managed to stay by Mars' side through her various criminal conquests? And how many of them have been disposed of by a Romulan firing squad? Compare and speculate."

Silence answered, and Sarek wormed his way in through the small opening of doubt he sensed within Nula's mind. "You know the answer Nula, so why not expect her betrayal and thwart her when the time is right? It is a wise course of action."

She glared at Sarek for a long while. Slowly she whispered through clenched teeth, "You're up to something."

"I am." It was his last chance, the only way he could think of saving Grayson. His only hope.

Nula appraised him thoroughly before sitting down on the edge of Amanda's bio-bed. She set her hands daintily in her lap before perking her pointed ears as if ready to listen. "Tell me Sarek, this better be good."

Sarek's brain was computing as fast as it could in order to figure out the right words to get his ploy to function. As he was thinking, the sound of a phone ringing made both aliens snap in the direction of Amanda. Her pocket was vibrating. Nula looked incredulous. "She gets service up here? Mine can't even penetrate atmo on Romulus…" she mumbled as Sarek slipped Grayson's mobile communicator out of her pocket and looked at it. Toluk's name was on the display and everything started to snap together in Sarek's plan.

"Nula. I will give you the Vulcan information database."

His brown eyes searched dull gray ones for a response and found intrigue. She was surprised by his decision, but it was up to her to take the bait. "Now why would you do that? I don't need it."

"Mars is going to cater to the Terrans by supplying the information we refused to give them from _your_ database - probably at a high price. You can use the Vulcan database to compete with her and profit yourself."

Suspicion darkened Nula's features. "Right. You'll just hand it over wily-nilly… I'm not falling for it. It's a trap."

Sarek threw Nula the mobile phone. "This is a means to contact my retainer Toluk. He has the co-ordinates of the database. You may retrieve it."

"One – he's not going to just give me the co-ordinates, Two – you'll just arrest me or kill me at whatever false co-ordinates you give me! I'm not stupid!."

"He will tell you if I order him to, and you can not be harmed if you have a hostage. Consider it collateral." Sarek motioned to the motionless linguist. "You will administer the antidote to Grayson, ensuring she lives for use as a hostage. She is unconscious so she can not resist. You can take her down to the planet with as many of your men as you think you'll require, and terminate her if anything goes wrong in accordance with Mars' plot without any complications. You win either way."

"And you?"

The Ambassador turned away and frowned slightly. "You wish for me to return to Vulcan, do you not? Since I am incapable of solving this issue myself, and the matter of the Vulcan database is dissolved now that I entrust it to you, I have no viable reason to resume my diplomatic mission."

Nula tapped her fingers to her lips in a nervous gesture. "Tempting Sarek. I didn't expect this from you at all. Surrendering valuable Vulcan information in exchange for human…." She stared at Sarek with a mixture of anticipation and doubt. "Tell your Vulcan friend to meet me in the clearing by the reservoir in Seattle, with the database - alone."

The Ambassador looked a little taken back. "I thought we agreed on sending you the co-ordinates."

"Too risky. I'll approach by shuttle craft… I have a nifty proto-type of something our university produced that will be perfect for the occasion." Nula gave Sarek a scathing look, "I'm going to do this _my way_ if at all. You're going to find I'm not that easy to lure into a trap Vulcan. I _will_ come out ahead."

"As you wish." Sarek opened Amanda's communicator and frowned slightly at the buttons. The settings were not in Standard so it took him a moment to adjust and figure out how to properly work the device. In minutes he contacted a worried Tulok and informed him of the situation. After negotiating Nula's demands they came to an agreement. The two of them spoke in Standard for the Romulan's benefit so that she did not think they were planning anything worthy of further suspicion.

After the call, Nula summoned several guards who came and took Grayson. "Don't worry Sarek. She'll be given that antidote so that she'll live - while she's still useful."

"You will have to trade her for the database. Due to the distrust that will surely occur at the rendezvous, I suggest holding off on administering the antidote. This is so you can hand over the woman for access to the information without worry Tulok will betray you. You won't give him the antidote until the database is in your hands. Agreed?"

The girl nodded. "You know, having a Vulcan on our side would be a great benefit. If you ever get bored with nattering all day you could make a good advisor for stuff like this."

"A Vulcan is excels in every field that requires logic."

Nula rolled her eyes and left with her small party and the human, leaving Sarek alone in Sickbay. He waited patiently for thirty minutes before approaching the doors and tapping on them lightly. It was time for phase two of his plan.

A guard opened the door quickly and eyed Sarek warily, "What do you require?"

"Use of the facilities."

"Alright then. Stand back." He turned to his fellow guard just as Sarek pinched him gracefully in the neck. The other guard went for his phaser, but in the process of doing so exposed his neck as well. Soon there were two slumped bodies on the floor of the hallway. Sarek hastily looked down both corridors before dragging the unconscious guards into sick bay. He left soon afterwards and hurried down the hallway to where he remembered the Transporter Room was.

He did not intend to return to Vulcan as he led Nula to assume. This matter needed to be clarified before Mars got any further in her plot. Sarek's earlier conversation with Nula was purely to save Amanda's life, because he could not seem to focus on the matter at hand with her existence destined to come to an end. This way he gave her hope, as she did to him. It was a logical solution, even if the problem itself was not. With the Terran out of his mind for the moment, he needed to tend to this impending conflict between planets. Sarek planned to beam outside of the Embassy where he could quickly gather together a council that would hear out Mars' design and put a stop to it. It would be easy.

Too easy.

Once he opened the door to the Transporter Room he was met by the sound of a laser rifle being powered up. It was the same one Nula left on the console earlier. Now it was in the hands of a cocoa skinned woman with eyes full of fire and a grin like the Cheshire cat.

"Ambassador," the woman whispered. She could have said 'checkmate' in the same tone and it would have fit the situation flawlessly.

Sarek raised his hands instinctively. Nula was a child, and asserting himself against her was harmless. Mars, however, could not be trifled with unless he wished the probably of his survival to lower significantly. "I did not think you would discover my escape plan so quickly."

Mars grabbed Sarek by his hair and in one fluid movement shoved him around so that he was forced marched back into the hallway with her gun digging into his back. "I set up security cameras the moment I stepped onto little Nula's little boat. She doesn't seem like the loyal type, judging by how easily I wrapped her around my fingers. Despite that, I like her; she has her uses... as do you Ambassador… but do not think I won't make a hole in your chest because of it."

The villainess led Sarek into a small room that looked like someone's quarters. Roughly, she sat him down and continued to train the rifle on him. There was never a moment where her eyes left his being. "You surprise me for a Vulcan; but then again, you mixed yourself up with a human… so irrationality was to be expected." The way she said everything so matter-of-factly, made her easier to understand, but it also made her quips more unbearable for a Vulcan.

"Do not insult me."

A dark eyebrow rose on Mars' brow, and she let herself be amused by Sarek's retort. "You insult yourself Ambassador; melding with such an inferior being and all. I am flattered you resorted to it just to discover my identity, but I am also disgusted. Desperation colors you poorly."

She pulled out a chair, while still focusing on Sarek, and flipped it around so she could lean into the back of it and still aim her weapon. "Now. I take it your clever mind figured out some of my motives… so I'm not going to waste my breath on a monologue that will bore you. I'll get straight to the point and tell you what to expect for the next few weeks."

Sarek stared right through her as he tried to figure out a way to rectify the situation. There was no way out of it from what he could see. He was forced to accept whatever the woman offered him.

"You will be sent back to Vulcan, and then set free… because by that time, what you say and do will have no effect on what I've done to satisfy my needs. You will be beamed to a cargo ship that's waiting for you as we speak. It's not a pretty ship, but then again you could do with a change of scenery, am I right?" She didn't even wait for an answer as she continued. "When you get to Vulcan feel free to do whatever you wish. No strings." Mars stood and headed out the door backwards. "There will be some of my people waiting for you in the Transporter Room. Please don't resist… all the walls have eyes and I'm too busy to be hunting you down, again."

She slipped out the door and Sarek resigned to her plan. There was nothing more he could do. After attempting to meditate and being interrupted by some interesting looking Romulans, the Ambassador was led to the Transporter Pad where he was ripped apart into atoms then reassembled in one of the last places he wanted to be.

* * *

**Authors Note**: Writer's block. My original plot idea was dashed when my brother shot a hole in it. I revised the ending of the last chapter to work out a little better character wise. It's still choppy. After the next chapter I think I'm going to give this story a bit of an over haul (since there's going to be a bit of a time jump so that I can mature up Amanda a bit and change the setting to Vulcan). Sorry for the crappy writing recently, I really need to stop working on this past midnight...


End file.
